M.\)hhh. 


c  1 


m 


Webster  Farniiy  Library  of  Veterinary  Meciicine 
Cummings  Schcoi  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Tutis  University 
200  V\/estborG  Road 
North  Grafton,  MA  01 536 


GEN.   ROGER  D.  WILLIAMS. 


M. 


F.  H.  Iroquois  Hunt 
Kentucky. 


Club, 


Horse  and  Hound. 


By 

Roger  D.  Williams. 

Master  of  Foxhounds,  Iroquois  Hunt  Club. 
Vice-Pres.  Masters  of  Foxhounds'  Association. 
Keeper  Foxhound  Stud  Book. 
Director  National  Foxhunters'  Association. 
Official  Judge  Brunswick  Hunt  Club. 
Director  Southern  Foxhunters'  Association. 

AUTHOR  OF 

"  The  Greyhound." 

••  Old  Times  in  the  Black  Hills." 

"  Wolf  Coursing." 

"The  Bloodhound." 

"  Horse  and  Hound." 

"  Deer-Hunting  in  the  West  Indies." 


THIRD  EDITION. 


LEXINGTON,  KY. 
ROGER  D.  WILLIAMS. 

1908 


XJO 


Copyright,   1905,   by 
Roger  D.  Williams. 


First  Edition— 1905. 
Second  Edition — 1906. 
Third  Edition — 1908. 


PREFACE. 


I  AM  aware  that  many  ideas  and  views  ad- 
vanced by  me  are  at  variance  with  those  of  other 
writers,  especially  from  an  English  standpoint, 
but  they  are  honestly  given  as  seen,  and  practi- 
cally experienced  in  the  field  and  saddle  during 
a  quarter  of  a  century's  riding  to  hounds.  I  have 
also  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  discuss 
many  of  the  intricacies  of  the  game  through  in- 
tercourse, correspondence,  and  association  with 
some  of  the  best  known  fox-hunters  in  the  coun- 
try, so  this  book  can  hardly  be  called  a  one  man's 
ideas.  I  make  no  pretense  of  being  an  authority 
or  past  grand  master  of  the  art,  but  merely  give 
my  observations,  whether  they  coincide  with 
those  of  others,  or  not. 

The  indulgence  of  the  reader  is  solicited  for 
the  crudeness  of  style,  and  plain  method  of  writ- 
ing. No  attempt  having  been  made  to  make  this 
a  technical  text-book,  scientific  or  classical  treat- 
ise, but  to  make  it  as  clear  to  the  novice  and  be- 
ginner as  to  the  expert,  I  trust  my  efforts  in  this 
line  may  not  cause  the  average  reader  to  say  that 
much  more  might  have  been  entertainingly  and 
Instructively  told  in  half  as  many  pages. 

3 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

I.    Hunting,        - 9 

II.  The  Hunter,      -----          19 

III.  Schooling  of  Hunters,  -         -        -     28 

IV.  Cross-Country  Riding,      -         -         -         41 
V.  Falls,    -         -         -         -         -         -         -     51 

VI.    In  the  Field, 54 

VII.  Women  in  the  Field,     -         -         -         -     81 

VIII.  Scent,        .-.---         96 

IX.  The  Fox,        ------  105 

X.  Tricks  and  Habits  of  the  Fox,          -        113 

XL  The  Hound,  -         -         -         -         -         -  119 

XII.  History  and  Origin  American  Hound,     137 

XIII.  Breeding  and  Raising  Hounds,      -         -  149 

XIV.  Training  Hounds,      -         -         -         -        159 
XV.    The  Kennel, 167 

XVI.    Hunt  Clubs, 191 

5 


HORSE  AND  HOUND. 


FOXHALL-KEENE. 


M.F.  H. 
New  York. 


HUNTING. 

"  Warned  by  the  streaming  light  and  merry  lark 
Forth  rushed  the  jolly  pack  :  with  tuneful  throats 
They  carol  loud,  and  in  grand  chorus  joined, 
Salute  the  new-born  day." 

Thi:  Sport  of  hunting  wild  animals  upon  their 
native  heath,  whether  with  hound  or  gun,  is  the 
natural  recreation  of  man.  Love  of  hunting  in 
its  different  phases  is  one  of  the  strongest  char- 
acteristics of  the  human  race,  the  principles  and 
methods  of  which  were  instilled  into  our  remote 
ancestors  and  rightly  inherited  by  us ;  and  he  who 
has  once  tasted  the  sweets  of  fox-hunting  is  its 
devotee  for  life,  thus  proving  the  old  adage, 
"Once  a  fox-hunter,  always  a  fox-hunter." 

The  system  once  having  absorbed  the  love 
of  the  chase,  it  can  never  be  eradicated.  Every 
man,  however,  who  goes  hunting  is  not  neces- 
sarily a  fox-hunting  enthusiast,  as  is  proven  by 
those  who  return  as  soon  as  the  fox  is  afoot  and 
the  social  preliminaries  are  over — thinking  doubt- 
less fox-hunting  is  a  most  fascinating  and  en- 
viable pursuit  in  the  abstract. 

To  real  sportsmen  the  mere  killing  of  the  fox 
is  no  gratification.  The  excitement  and  pleasure 
of  the  chase  and  the  health-giving  exercise  are 

9 


lo  Horse  and  Hou7id. 

its  chief  attractions,  besides  there  is  no  sweeter 
music  on  earth  to  the  ear  of  the  hunter  than  the 
harmony  of  the  tuneful  chorus  of  eager  hounds 
in  full  cry,  blending  with  the  mellow  horn. 

The  following  tribute  to  the  good  qualities  of 
a  fox-hunter,  by  "Martingale,"  I  feel  sure  will 
not  be  out  of  place  here: 

"It  has  frequently  been  remarked  that  the 
heart  of  a  fox-hunter  is  invariably  in  its  right 
place,  that  with  him  there  is  more  ingenuousness, 
more  candor,  more  generosity,  more  vigor  in 
thought  as  well  as  in  action,  than  can  be  found  in 
men  who  are  pent  up  in  crowded  cities.  This 
peculiarity  is  easily  explained.  Although  the  fox- 
hunter  may  not  be  enabled,  like  the  magician  of 
old,  to  tell  the  footfall  of  Aladdin  amid  the  tumul- 
tuous roars,  the  noisy  life  currents,  or  life  streams 
of  a  dense  community,  he  can  do  more  on  the 
score  of  perception  and  penetration  than  the 
dweller  immured  in  the  smoke  of  furnaces  and 
steam  engines  and  the  roar  of  machinery,  or  those 
who  are  chained  to  the  desk  from  morning  till 
evening,  or  nailed  to  a  counter  like  a  bad  penny. 
The  laws  of  visible  fact  may  be  appreciated  by 
men  whose  god  is  gain  and  whose  worship  is  the 
aggrandizement  of  self,  according  to  the  nicest 
calculations  of  fractions  infinitesimal,  but  the  fol- 
lower of  hounds  possesses  that  vigor  of  frame 
and  vigor  of  action  which  have  their  invariable 
accompaniment  in  vigor  of  mind  and  vigor  of 


Hunting.  1 1 

conception,  one  yielding  to  the  promptings  of  the 
other  and  perfectly  harmonizing  in  themselves." 

Fox-hunting  is  not  only  a  recreation  and 
amusement,  but  a  science  and  an  art  in  which  but 
few  ever  obtain  proficiency.  It  is  one  of  the  few 
sports  that  is  not  more  or  less  tainted  with  pro- 
fessionalism. It  eminently  encourages  compan- 
ionable qualities  in  man,  is  conducive  to  health 
and  good  fellowship,  and  is  frequently  the  means 
of  cementing  strong,  lifelong  friendships. 

Courage,  skill,  and  perseverence  are  all  the 
outcome  of  excitement  and  ardor  engendered  by 
the  chase,  and  are  qualities  that  should  be  en- 
couraged and  fostered  in  every  man.  As  to  its 
effect  on  the  youth  of  the  country,  "Scrutator" 
wisely  says : 

"Fox-hunting  has  been  compared  to  warfare, 
and  what  better  school  could  be  found  to  prepare 
our  youth  for  the  battlefield?  It  makes  them 
good  horsemen,  teaches  them  to  look  danger 
boldly  in  the  face,  to  disregard  falls,  hard  knocks, 
and  bruises,  inures  them  to  undergo  fatigue  with 
cheerfulness,  wet  and  cold  without  flinching,  and 
braces  their  hearts  and  nerves  for  bolder  enter- 
prises. In  a  national  point  of  view,  therefore, 
as  tending  to  the  welfare  of  the  State,  fox-hunt- 
ing is  entitled  to  much  greater  support  than  it 
meets  with." 

As  to  its  antiquity  the  fox  appears  to  have 
been  one  of  the  very  last  victims  of  the  chase. 


12  Horse  and  Hound. 

brought  about,  doubtless,  by  the  lawless  slaughter 
of  the  boar,  wolf,  and  stag. 

Though  the  Rev.  Wm.  Chafin,  in  his  "An- 
ecdotes Respecting  Cranborn  Chase,"  states  that 
Thomas  Hownes,  of  Steepleton,  Dorsetshire,  had 
a  complete  and  celebrated  pack  of  fox-hounds  in 
1730,  the  earliest  recognized  pack  of  hounds 
maintained  exclusively  for  fox-hunting  that  I 
can  find  any  authentic  record  of,  is  the  Belvoir, 
wdiich  can  be  traced  back  to  1750;  the  Pytchley 
Hunt  being  organized  about  twenty-five  years 
later. 

As  to  the  extent  of  fox-hunting  in  Great 
Britain  as  a  national  sport,  the  following  figures, 
while  certainly  startling  in  their  magnitude,  are 
vouched  for  by  a  most  reliable  English  authority, 
and  if  they  err  at  all,  it  is  upon  the  side  of  mod- 
eration rather  than  exaggeration. 

There  are  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  ac- 
cording to  the  kennel  lists,  360  packs  of  hounds 
V exclusive  of  Beagles).  The  total  is  made  up 
as  follows:  vStaghounds — England,  17;  Ireland, 
9 — 24.  Foxhounds — England  and  Scotland, 
166;  Ireland,  23 — 189.  Harriers — England  and 
Scotland,  119;  Ireland,  28 — 147.    Total,  362. 

Now,  assuming  that  these  360  packs  have  an 
average  of  100  supporters,  owning  three  horses 
each,  we  have  a  national  hunting  stud  of  108,000. 
The  value  of  these  horses,  of  course,  varies 
hugely;  the  wealthy  man  of   18  stone  considers 


EDWARD  S.   FITZMAURICE,   M.   D. 
North  Dakota. 


12 


Hunting.  1 3 

the  hunter  which  can  carry  him  well  to  hounds 
cheap  at  $1,750  or  $2,000;  while  the  lighter  man, 
of  shorter  purse,  thankfully  mounts  his  10  or  11 
stone  on  a  nag  of  one-sixth  the  price.  The  average 
value  of  these  108,000  hunters  is  $400,  which 
can  not  be  considered  extravagant,  and  thus  we 
have  a  total  sum  invested  in  horseflesh  of  $43,- 
200,000.  These  36,000  hunting  men  want  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  clothing  and  saddlery,  and 
it  is  not  lavish  to  ascribe  to  each  the  possession 
of  $150  worth  of  clothes  and  boots,  and  of  $125 
of  saddlery  and  stable  furniture;  but  even  this 
modest  allowance  produces  the  handsome  total  of 
$9,900,000  invested  in  necessaries.  Taking  the 
value  of  each  pack  of  hounds  as  $2,500,  we  get 
a  total  of  $900,000;  granting  to  each  hunt  10 
horses,  at  $250,  for  the  servants,  we  get  another 
$900,000 ;  and  putting  the  value  of  the  hunt  serv- 
ants' clothing  and  saddlery  at  $305  each  hunt, 
we  add  to  the  foregoing  items  $99,000.  Omit- 
ting the  value  of  stable  buildings  and  kennels, 
which  is  difficult  to  guess,  we  cast  up  the  figures 
above  given,  and  we  find  the  gross  total  $1,000 
short  of  $55,000,000. 

As  to  the  size  of  individual  packs,  as  hunted 
in  England  at  the  present  time,  the  average  is 
probably  10  couples,  though  the  Bel  voir  has  66 
couples,  and  the  Duke  of  Beaufort  75  couples  of 
hounds.  As  to  the  value  of  hounds  in  England, 
an  idea  may  be  formed  when  I  state  that  Mr. 


14  Horse  and  Hound, 

Osbaldeston  sold  Lord  Middleton  lo  couples  for 
1,000  guineas,  and  refused  1,000  guineas  for  5 
choice  hounds,  including  the  famous  Furrier. 

In  this  country,  the  largest  packs  are  the 
Orange  County  with  35,  Meadowbrook  46,  Rad- 
nor 48,  and  Eatontown  Hunt  with  50  couples  of 
hounds.  The  average  is  about  10  couples,  but 
unfortunately  there  is  no  way  of  calculating  the 
total  number  of  packs  in  the  United  States.  I 
am  more  familiar  with  the  packs  of  Kentucky, 
and  think  100  packs  would  be  a  conservative  es- 
timate of  the  number  in  that  State  alone,  being 
an  average  of  less  than  one  to  the  county,  and  I 
know  of  as  many  as  a  dozen  in  several  different 
counties. 

In  this  country,  since  the  earliest  days  of 
colonization,  the  sport  of  fox-hunting  has  thrived 
with  unflagging,  in  fact,  increasing  enthusiasm. 
Our  early  ancestors,  especially  in  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia, and  Kentucky,  were  devotees  of  the  sport, 
and  every  country  gentleman  owned  his  pack  of 
hounds  and  stable  of  horses;  but  the  first  organ- 
ized hunt  club,  on  the  order  of  an  English  Hunt, 
was  in  1877,  when  ten  couples  of  hounds  were 
imported  and  drag  runs  were  made  on  Long 
Island.  They  afforded  probably  more  amuse- 
ment to  outsiders  than  to  the  participants,  who 
were  caricatured  and  held  up  to  ridicule  by  the 
press  and  illustrated  papers.  However,  this  sport 
found  favor  in  the  eyes  and  hearts  of  the  riders 


Hunting,  1 5 

of  the  East,  and  soon  drag  hunts  were  had  near 
many  of  the  Eastern  cities.  Thus  a  desire  for 
cross-country  riding  was  created  which  has  de- 
veloped into  the  successful  hunt  clubs  of  the  East. 
It  has  never  been  popular  in  any  other  section  of 
the  country,  and  is  absolutely  unknown  in  the 
South.  A  Southern  hunter  would  as  soon  think 
of  gratifying  his  sporting  ambition  by  tossing  up 
a  dead  bird  bought  in  the  market  and  shooting 
at  it,  as  in  running  a  drag,  and  the  devotee  of 
drag-hunting  considers  many  of  the  fox-hunting 
customs  of  the  South  and  West  equally  as  absurd 
and  amusing. 

Hunting  in  certain  portions  of  New  England 
is  certainly  unique.  There  is  none  of  the  form, 
ceremony,  glamour,  and  glitter  of  the  uniformed 
hunters,  and  sleek,  beautifully  caparisoned  thor- 
oughbreds of  the  Eastern  clubs,  nor  the  reckless, 
dare-devil,  noisy  riding  that  characterizes  the 
Kentucky  and  Southern  hunter.  Clubs  are  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  shooting  foxes.  They  go  to 
covert  in  large  ''barges,"  each  hunter  with  his 
trusty  shot-gun  across  his  knees.  They  take  posi- 
tions on  a  runway  or  stand,  until  the  coverts 
resemble  the  business  end  of  a  battleship;  the 
hounds  are  thrown  in  a  swamp,  and  as  they  bring 
out  Brer  Fox  a  bombardment  opens  up  resem- 
bling a  Port  Arthur  attack  and  repulse.  They 
are  as  proud  of  trophies  obtained  in  this  way  as 
a  schoolboy  is  of  his  first  pair  of  red  boots,  it 


1 6  Horse  and  Hound. 

being  considered  a  distinction  beyond  compare 
to  have  one's  name  enrolled  upon  the  official  score 
board  as  having  killed  two  or  more  foxes  during 
a  meet. 

South  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line  it  would 
be  unhealthy  for  a  man  to  indulge  in  this  sport. 
They  have  an  unwritten  law  in  the  South  that 
would  almost  justify  a  man  killing  another  man 
who  even  resembled  such  a  hunter  in  personal 
appearance. 

The  following  hunting  terms,  used  in  the 
United  States,  should  be  thoroughly  familiar  to 
every  one  participating  in  a  hunt,  and  as  they  are 
necessary  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  fol- 
lowing chapters,  are  given  here  at  the  outset : 

Stern,  tail  of  a  hound. 

Speaks,  give  voice  on  trail. 

Jumping  powder,  contents  of  drinking  flask. 

Sinking,  weakening  before  being  overtaken. 

Ticklish  scent,  light  uncertain  trail. 

Break  him,  when  fox  is  tossed  to  hounds  to 
kill. 

Check,  hounds  stopped. 

Uses,  where  fox  runs  or  stays. 

Pottering,  wasting  time  on  old  trail. 

Drawing,  working  or  hunting  a  covert. 

Cold  trailing,  working  an  old  or  cold  trail. 

Feeling  the  line,  trying  to  work  out  cold  trail. 

Cropper,  fall  over  head  of  horse. 

Sorry  looking,  Ill-shapen,  bad  conformation. 


E.  W.  OVERBY. 

M.  F.  H.  Virginia-Carolina  Hunt, 
Virginia 


16 


Hunting,  i  ^ 

Gone  to  ground,  entered  a  hole. 

Hitting  it  off,  recovering  the  Hne  after  a  loss 
or  check. 

Mask,  head  of  fox. 

Brush,  tail  of  fox. 

Pad,  foot  of  fox. 

Mute,  running  without  giving  tongue. 

Rioting,  running  wild  and  noisily. 

Tongue,  voice  of  hound. 

Throwing  tongue,  giving  voice. 

Lying,  giving  tongue  w^hen  not  on  trail. 

Lifting,  taking  hounds  from  where  they  are 
working  and  placing  them  on  the  line  at  another 
point. 

The  line,  the  fox's  trail. 

Blank,  no  game  in  covert. 

Breast  high,  scent  strong  enough  to  enable 
hounds  to  carry  it  with  heads  on  a  level  with 
breast. 

Fox  chunk,  excrement  of  fox. 

Bristles  up,  carrying  long  hairs  along  spine 
erect. 

Eligible,  three  generations  of  pedigree. 

Breeder,  party  owning  or  leasing  the  dam  at 
time  of  service. 

Barred,  not  allowed  in  the  chase. 

Cunning,  leaving  the  trail  and  cutting  across 
to  join  the  leading  hounds. 

Burning  scent,  good,  fresh  trail. 

Hot  trail,  close  upon  fox. 


1 8  Horse  and  Hound, 

Babbler,  a  noisy  hound  that  gives  tongue  too 
freely. 

Cast,  swinging  to  right  or  left  in  search  of 
lost  trail. 

Down  wind,  running  w^ith  the  wind. 

Challenged,  gave  tongue  first. 

Up  wind,  running  against  the  wind. 

Double,  running  to  rear  on  same  line. 

Throw  it  up,  to  quit. 

Skirter,  running  wide  of  pack. 

A  loss,  losing  line  or  trail. 

Full-cry,  when  the  whole  pack  open  up. 

Back  tracking,  running  a  trail  backwards. 

A  jump,  raising  the  fox  immediately  in  front 
of  hounds  without  previous  trailing. 

Thrown  out,  one  or  two  hounds  losing  trail 
while  others  are  running. 

Take  off,  finding  trail  after  loss  or  check. 

Coming  in,  returning  to  hunters. 

Go  in,  joining  the  other  hounds  wliile  run- 
ning. 

Marked,  penalized  for  faults. 

Chopped,  killed  the  fox. 

Cover  or  covert,  wood  or  place  where  foxes 
are  located. 

Cub,  young  fox. 

Vixen,  female  fox. 

Dog  fox,  male  fox. 

See  page  223  for  glossary  of  English  terms. 


THE  HUNTER. 

**  A  good  horse  is  an  animal  with  many  good,  few 
indifferent,  and  no  bad  points." 

When  a  youngster,  my  idea  of  a  horse  was 
very  similar  to  the  average  Kentuckian's  idea  of 
the  different  brands  of  whisky — ''all  good,  but 
some  better  than  others."  Unfortunately,  not- 
withstanding my  love  for  the  horse,  close,  per- 
sonal contact  with  some  certain  specimens  has 
caused  me  to  change  my  views  very  materially. 
This  change  of  sentiment  may  have  been  brought 
about  by  the  fact  that  I  have  probably  owned 
more  than  my  share  of  the  really  bad  (vicious) 
ones.  It  got  to  be  quite  a  saying  at  the  thorough- 
bred training  tracks  in  Kentucky,  if  a  horse  was 
a  bolter,  confirmed  runaway,  or  too  rattle-brained 
to  stand  training,  "Sell  him  to  General  Williams 
for  a  cross-country  horse."  I  have  probably 
bought  dozens  of  such.  Among  the  lot  some 
turned  out  ven^  well  indeed,  and  only  one,  ''Hick- 
ory' Leaf,"  I  failed  to  subdue  enough  to  at  least 
enter  to  hounds.  The  day  before  he  was  to  have 
had  his  first  run  in  company  he  ran  away  with  a 
friend  of  mine  and  sent  him  to  the  hospital  for 

19 


20  Horse  and  Hound, 

weeks,  so  he  was  consigned  to  the  harness  bri- 
gade, magnificent  animal  that  he  was. 

I  have  had  more  experience  with  thorough- 
bred horses  as  hunters  than  any  other  breed,  and 
while  for  several  years  I  considered  them  par  ex- 
cellence the  best  horse  for  hunting,  I  have 
changed  my  mind,  and  now  consider  the  half  or 
three-quarter  bred  thoroughbred  the  best  strain. 
The  nervous  system  of  a  thoroughbred  is  too  sen- 
sitive. They  have  too  much  imagination,  and  it 
responds  entirely  too  freely  when  they  draw  upon 
it.  We  all  know  how  unreliable  they  are  when  it 
comes  to  temperament  and  disposition.  They  may 
be  the  aristocrats  of  the  equine  race,  but  not  one 
in  a  score  has  the  disposition  to  make  a  hunter. 

I  have  known  them  to  voluntarily  obey  every 
demand  of  their  rider  for  weeks  as  though  dis- 
cipline were  their  second  nature,  then  upon  the 
first  opportunity  presenting  itself,  upset  all  his 
calculations  and  theories  in  regard  to  horseflesh 
by  perpetrating  some  devilish  trick  entirely  un- 
worthy of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held.  This 
would  cause  me  to  exclaim,  with  the  old  darkey 
whom  the  horse  had  thrown  into  the  creek, 
"That's  what  makes  me  'spize  a  boss !" 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  select  a  hunter  for 
another,  nor  is  It  easy  to  even  advise  one  intelli- 
gently how  to  select  a  suitable  mount.  A  horse 
one  man  would  think  perfection,  another  would 
not  have. 


FRANK  S.  GIBSON. 

West  Virginia. 


The  Hunter.  21 

Different  riders  demand  horses  especially 
adapted  by  nature,  disposition,  size,  and  confor- 
mation to  their  own  peculiarities;  therefore,  in 
selecting  a  hunter  I  would,  above  all  things,  give 
preference  to  suitability.  Then  I  would  consider 
disposition,  next  breeding,  and  lastly  looks.  Un- 
fortunately, nine-tenths  of  the  hunters  seen  in  the 
field  in  this  country  exactly  reverse  this  order  of 
selection,  laying  more  stress  upon  looks  and 
breeding  than  all  the  other  qualifications  com- 
bined, forgetting  for  the  time  being  that  the 
pleasure  and  enjoyment  of  the  hunt  are  largely 
dependent  upon  the  horse  you  ride,  and  looks  and 
pedigree  may  stretch  you  in  the  ditch  or  hang 
you  upon  the  fence,  while  stamina,  activity,  and 
a  level  head  will  keep  you  on  the  firing  line. 

Therefore,  my  advice  is,  pay  less  attention  to 
the  looks  and  breeding  of  your  horse  than  you 
do  to  his  qualities  as  a  hunter,  and  never,  under 
any  circumstances,  buy  a  hunter  without  giving 
him  a  thorough  trial  in  the  field;  jumping  him 
over  an  obstacle  in  a  paddock  as  a  trial  is  about 
on  a  par  with  trying  the  accuracy  and  penetra- 
tion of  a  rifle  with  a  blank  cartridge. 

While  no  animal  is  more  susceptible  to  appro- 
bation and  flattery  than  a  horse,  I  am  one  of  the 
few  that  believe  horses  as  a  rule  are  possessed 
of  a  low  order  of  intelligence,  have  absolutely  no 
courage,  and  naturally  are  the  greatest  fools. 
Always  nervous  and  apprehensive,  they  never  call 


22  Horse  and  Hound. 

reason  to  their  assistance.  The  noble  traits  of 
character  possessed  by  horses   sounds  well  and 

looks  well  upon  paper,  but  .     However, 

there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  in- 
telligence and  courage  of  the  horse.  They  cer- 
tainly have  mentality  enough  to  appreciate  kind- 
ness and  any  sympathy  shown  them  by  mankind. 

A  few  words  as  to  the  treatment  of  a  horse 
in  the  field  may  not  be  amiss ;  though  a  man  may 
be  accustomed  to  driving  horses  all  his  life,  and 
may  occasionally  amble  through  the  park  on  a 
well-mannered  one,  he  will  find  it  an  altogether 
different  proposition  upon  a  hunter  in  the  field. 

Elsewhere,  I  have  treated  upon  seat  and 
hands  (the  vitality  of  hunting).  Next  to  these, 
nerve  is  the  most  essential  requisite  to  riding  to 
hounds.  Loss  of  nerve  causes  nine-tenths  of  the 
accidents  in  the  field,  and  though  the  horse  may 
not  possess  a  very  high  order  of  intelligence,  he 
quickly  finds  you  out  and  never  fails  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  knowledge;  thus  the  horse  fre- 
quently knows  the  rider  better  than  the  rider 
knows  the  horse.  If  the  rider  is  courageous  he 
immediately  recognizes  it,  and  the  knowledge  but 
adds  to  his  own  courage. 

Horses  are  interesting  to  handle  and  study, 
but  difficult  to  thoroughly  understand.  How  few 
men  ever  understand  or  really  appreciate  a  horse ! 
They  do  not  go  about  it  in  the  right  way.  The 
great  secret  in  handling  a  horse  successfully  is 


The  Hunter.  23 

to  win  his  confidence;  this  once  gained,  retain  it 
at  any  sacrifice.  Viciousness  and  stubbornness 
can  never  be  thrashed  out  of  a  horse;  if  you  can 
not  gain  his  confidence  by  kindness  and  sym- 
pathy, convince  him  by  the  Rarey  or  Gleason 
methods  that  you  are  his  master  and  will  be 
obeyed,  and  you  will  have  no  further  trouble  with 
him.  Nothing  develops  the  equine  intellect  more 
than  close  contact  with  men;  therefore  mal<:e  a 
companion  and  friend  of  your  horse. 

Never  treat  your  horse  in  an  indifferent,  me- 
chanical manner  as  though  he  were  an  '*auto," 
if  you  expect  him  to  be  responsive  and  enter  into 
your  sport  with  life  and  zest. 

In  the  selection  of  a  hunter,  if  a  kicker  and 
plunger  or  a  stumbler,  by  all  means  choose  the 
former.  A  horse  may  kick  or  throw  you  ofT,  and 
as  the  old  darkey  said  about  being  blown  up  on 
a  train,  "Dar  you  is;"  but  if  he  stumbles  and  falls 
with  you,  it  is  as  he  said  about  being  blown  up 
on  a  steamer,  "Whar  is  you?" 

While  risk  and  danger  incurred  are  factors 
that  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  sport,  take 
my  advice  and  do  not  seek  them  through  the 
means  of  a  stumbling  horse. 

A  horse  that  kicks  at  hounds  (favorite  pas- 
time of  the  thoroughbred)  is  an  abomination  in 
the  eyes  of  all  hunters,  and  if  he  can  not  be  cured, 
which  is  quite  difficult  to  do,  he  should  be  put  to 
drawing    an    omnibus — the    sooner    the    better. 


24  Horse  and  Hound, 

Stabling  him  with  hounds  will  not  effect  a  cure, 
for  while  behaving  himself  with  the  hounds  he 
knows,  he  will  let  drive  at  the  first  "outsider" 
that  comes  within  range.  I  know  of  no  harder 
task  than  explaining  to  an  owner  how  your  horse 
happened  to  kick  and  cripple  or  kill  his  favorite 
hound. 

A  hunter  is  in  his  prime  between  the  ages 
of  six  and  nine,  and  must  be  at  least  six  years 
old  before  one  can  expect  hard  service  of  him, 
day  in  and  day  out,  in  the  field.  Have  known 
of  hunters  twenty  years  old  that  could  hold  their 
own  with  a  four-year-old  in  a  long  brushing  run. 
The  average  life  of  usefulness  in  the  field  is  six 
years,  while  some  do  not  last  the  season  out,  bow- 
ing a  tendon  in  a  few  runs. 

As  to  size,  the  extremely  large  hunters  have 
never  been  popular  with  me.  While  the  saying 
that  a  "good  big  horse  is  always  better  than  a 
good  little  horse,"  carries  weight  with  it,  I  am 
partial  to  a  15.2  or  15.3  horse,  if  he  has  bone, 
substance,  and  nerve  force  with  it.  Build  and  con- 
stitution certainly  have  more  to  do  with  weight- 
carrying  ability  than  either  avoirdupois  or  height ; 
tall  men  look  better  on  tall  horses,  and  small  men, 
vice  versa. 

The  average  weight  of  a  horse  in  hunting 
condition,  capable  of  carrying  a  heavy  weight, 
should  be  about  1,150  pounds;  a  middle  weight, 
1,050;  and  a  light  weight,  1,000  pounds.     Sev- 


Light  Weight  Hunter. 


Medium  Weight  Hunter. 


The  Hunter.  25 

eral  things  that  I  would  impress  upon  my  reader 
are,  never  condemn  a  hunter  on  his  looks,  re- 
member that  a  horse  suitable  to  one  kind  of  coun- 
try and  hunting  may  not  be  adapted  to  another; 
that  a  horse's  endurance  is  always  limited  by  his 
weakest  part ;  and  that  the  power  of  a  horse  only 
increases  with  size,  provided  the  relative  propor- 
tion   and   general   compactness   are   maintained. 

I  lay  but  little  stress  upon  looks  in  the  field. 
However,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  horses  will 
both  jump  and  run  in  all  shapes,  as  is  evidenced 
by  the  performances  of  Decapod  and  Hats-Off, 
two  ill-looking  hunters  I  sold  in  the  East  at  nom- 
inal sums,  which  afterwards  became  famous 
hunters.  The  case  of  Badge  is  also  remarkable. 
He  was  sold  at  auction  and  was  such  a  "sorry," 
weedy  looking  specimen  that  he  was  bought  for 
a  song.  His  purchaser  gave  as  his  reason  for 
buying  him,  that  owning  a  race  horse  would  en- 
title him  to  a  free  entrance  badge  to  the  races. 
He  was  accordingly  named  "Badge,"  and  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  greatest  horses  of  his  class,  win- 
ning a  fortune  which  made  his  owner  independent 
for  life. 

Few  American-bred  hunters  have  ever  been 
taken  to  England,  but  those  which  have,  com- 
pared most  favorably  with  the  English-bred 
hunters,  as  have  also  the  comparatively  few 
American  riders  who  have  hunted  in  England, 
compared  with  the  home  talent. 


26  Horse  and  Hound, 

In  the  selection  or  judging  of  a  hunter  the 
following  points  should  be  considered. 

If  a  horse  has  a  small,  lean,  finely  chiseled 
forehead,  and  rather  wide  nostrils,  and  small, 
thin,  evenly  shaped  ears,  it  is  an  indication  of 
high  breeding,  though  a  horse  may  show  high 
breeding  without  possessing  qualities  one  would 
naturally  expect  to  be  present,  especially  in  a  high- 
class  hunter. 

The  expression  of  the  eye  generally  indicates 
the  character  of  the  horse.  Narrow  eyes,  set  far 
back  in  the  sockets,  and  those  exposing  much 
white  of  eye  frequently  indicate  vicious  tempera- 
ment. A  round,  full,  mild  eye  in  a  prominent 
socket  indicates  a  tractable,  bold,  fearless  dispo- 
sition, qualities  much  to  be  desired  in  a  hunter. 

Neck  should  be  long  though  strong,  placed 
and  carried  more  like  the  thoroughbred  than  the 
harness  or  saddle  horse.  This  allows  one  to  lean 
forward  on  the  rise  in  jumping,  so  necessary  to 
balance  of  both  horse  and  rider,  without  risk  of 
being  struck  in  the  face. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  a  hunter  have 
long  and  oblique  shoulders ;  they  reduce  the  con- 
cussion to  both  rider  and  horse,  as  do  long,  slant- 
ing pasterns,  and  add  to  the  years  of  usefulness  of 
a  hunter  afield. 

Feet  should  be  straight,  neither  in  nor  out, 
and  elbows  placed  to  insure  perfect  freedom  of 
movement. 


The  Hunter,  27 

Withers  should  be  high,  giving  a  surer  and 
firmer  seat,  and  retaining  saddle  in  place,  yet 
not  sharp  or  prominent  enough  to  become  saddle- 
bruised. 

Back  should  be  broad  across  the  loins,  well 
ribbed  up, — back  is  strongest  when  straight  and 
short,  weakest  when  long  and  hollow — should 
not  be  too  long,  yet  a  certain  amount  of  length 
with  extra  strong  loin  is  necessary  to  enable  a 
horse  to  get  his  hind  legs  sufficiently  well  under 
him. 

Hind  quarters  as  a  whole  should  be  deep, 
long,  full,  and  round,  the  hind  legs  furnishing 
the  chief  power  of  propulsion.  From  rear,  thighs 
should  be  long  and  well  rounded.  From  hocks 
to  fetlock  parallel,  and  not  inclined  to  "cow- 
hock." 

While  sickle  hocks  are  much  decried,  yet  it 
is  astonishing  how  many  jumpers  possess  them. 


SCHOOLING  OF  HUNTERS. 

Aiviv  quadrupeds  in  a  wild  state  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  jumping  as  a  matter  of  necessity; 
the  horse  in  its  domestic  state  requires  careful 
and  intelligent  training  to  enable  him  to  properly 
clear  obstacles  with  ease  to  himself  and  rider.  A 
horse  which  can  not  by  proper  handling  be 
taught  to  jump  is  deficient  in  either  brains  or 
nervous  energy,  as  it  is  natural  for  a  horse  to 
answer  to  the  demands  of  a  stronger  mind,  es- 
pecially when  exerted  through  kindly  enforced 
discipline. 

It  has  generally  been  the  practice,  especially 
in  Kentucky,  to  commence  the  schooling  of  a 
hunter  in  his  two-year-old  form,  but  my  friend, 
Frank  S.  Peer,  a  most  successful  schooler  of 
hunters,  goes  us  one  better  and  advises  the  com- 
mencement of  the  education  of  a  hunter  before  he 
is  foaled,  and  continued  throughout  his  suckling 
age. 

Horses  seldom,  if  ever,  bring  reason  to  their 
aid.  Natural  instinct,  however,  enables  him  to 
learn  by  association  with  reasoning  beings 
(through  absorption  or  close  cojitact)  things 
which  otherwise  could  not  be  instilled  into  him. 

28 


A.   B.  WATKINS. 
Texas. 


28 


Schooling  of  Hunters,  29 

With  undoubted  confidence  in  his  rider,  a 
horse  can  be  induced  to  undertake  most  anything 
which  otherwise  any  amount  of  force  or  abuse 
would  not  tempt  him,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, to  essay. 

If  one  wishes  to  commence  at  the  rudimen- 
tary principles  of  jumping,  the  horse  should  be 
turned  loose  in  a  narrow  chute  with  portable  bars 
across  the  center.  Put  up  the  bottom  bar  (not 
to  exceed  12  inches)  and  drive  him  in  a  walk 
over  the  bar.  After  having  driven  him  (loose) 
back  and  forth  several  times,  increase  his  pace 
until  he  has  jumped  it  several  times  at  a  gallop, 
allowing  him  to  catch  his  wind  between  times, 
and  do  not  excite  him.  Then  halter  and  lead 
him  over  a  few  times,  following  this  by  leading 
him  over  by  bridle. 

On  the  next  day  the  bar  should  be  raised  to 
24  inches  and  the  same  lesson  repeated.  When 
jumping  48  inches  clear  he  should  be  mounted  and 
the  bar  dropped  to  12  inches  again.  Alternate  his 
pace  between  walk,  trot,  and  canter. 

Raise  the  bar  gradually  to  24  inches  and  be 
very  careful  that  he  jumps  only  at  the  paces  you 
desire,  still  alternating  the  walk,  trot,  and  canter. 
Make  these  preliminary  lessons  short  and  do  not 
allow  him  to  become  fretted. 

As  soon  as  he  performs  well  the  slight  tasks 
as  above  assigned,  he  can  be  taken  from  the 
chute  lessons.    The  bars  or  obstacles  should  then 


30  Horse  and  Hound. 

be  placed  against  a  wall  or  solid  fence,  one  end 
touching  same  and  the  other  end  open,  so  that 
if  disposed  he  can  pass  around  rather  than  over 
the  obstacle.  I  do  not  believe  in  teaching  or 
schooling  a  horse  intended  for  use  in  the  field 
to  jump  only  in  a  chute  or  lane.  If  merely 
intended  for  a  high  jumper  at  horse  shows  this 
chute  plan  is  as  good,  if  not  better,  than  others, 
but  it  will  not  serve  in  training  for  the  field. 

The  height  of  the  jumps  should  be  advanced 
slowly  and  never  during  a  lesson. 

It  may  seem  folly  to  you  to  keep  a  horse 
jumping  at  two  feet  when  you  know  full  well 
that  he  can  as  easily  clear  three  feet,  and  the 
temptation  will  be  very  great  to  increase  the 
jump,  especially  if  witnesses  are  present,  but  my 
word  for  it,  there  are  more  jumpers  ruined  by 
advancing  too  rapidly  at  this  stage  of  the  game 
than  at  any  other. 

When  he  jumps  quietly,  methodically,  and 
just  at  the  pace  you  desire,  you  can  increase  the 
height  a  little;  however,  at  the  first  sign  of  *'sour- 
ing"  or  "going  stale,"  set  him  back  in  his  les- 
sons, decreasing  the  jump  at  least  a  foot,  and 
work  up  to  it  gradually  again.  Do  not  lose  pa- 
tience with  him  or  fight  and  punish  him.  He 
will  naturally  associate  the  punishment  with  the 
jump,  and  either  become  afraid  or  nervous  when 
required  to  jump.  A  sharp  rap  with  crop  when 
he  strikes  timber,  followed  by  a  caress  and  en- 


Schooling  of  Hunters.  3 1 

couragement  when  he  next  makes  a  clean  jump, 
will  be  more  effective  than  all  the  floggings  you 
could  give  him. 

Forbearance  and  patience,  combined  with  in- 
genuity, will  frequently  do  more  toward  accom- 
plishing your  end  than  all  the  punishment  you 
can  bestow  upon  him.  Remember,  a  highly  bred 
horse  is  constitutionally  nervous,  his  greatest 
weakness  is  fear,  which  can  be  largely  overcome 
or  minimized  by  obtaining,  and  never  abusing, 
his  confidence. 

In  earlier  training  have  good  stiff  bars  which 
will  not  yield  upon  contact,  but  which  will  hurt 
or  throw  a  careless  or  indifferent  jumper.  Later 
on,  in  high  jumps,  lighter  rails  may  be  substi- 
tuted where  there  is  actual  danger  from  a  fall, 
but  even  this  is  doubtful  policy. 

Do  not  worry  or  fret  him  by  too  frequent 
repetitions  at  any  one  time,  especially  to  the  ex- 
tent of  fatigue  or  soreness,  for  both  quickly  re- 
sult when  you  have  reached  the  point  of  high 
jumping.  Should  he  become  "bucked"  stop  all 
training  until  soreness  is  apparent.  Give  him 
a  little  breathing  spell  between  jumps  and  let 
him  walk  quietly  up  to  and  past  the  obstacle 
several  times. 

The  main  thing  one  has  to  guard  against  is 

to  prevent  him  from  increasing  his  speed  and 

rushing  his  jumps.    He  must  be  taught  to  shorten 

his  stride  the  same  as  a  man  does  in  collecting 

3 


32  Horse  and  Hound. 

himself  to  jump.  This  allows  him  a  chance  to  get 
his  hocks  and  hind  legs,  the  powers  of  propulsion 
in  a  horse,  well  under  him. 

The  general  impression  is,  a  horse  jumps  bet- 
ter when  allowed  to  go  fast  at  his  fences — the 
impetus  thus  gained  will  enable  him  to  take  a 
wider  leap  and  he  is  really  easier  to  sit  and  seems 
to  take  it  with  less  effort,  but  the  only  safe  and 
sure  jumpers  are  those  who  check  up  and  gather 
their  legs  under  them  by  a  few  short,  well-cal- 
culated steps  (the  same  as  a  man  does)  before 
taking  off. 

A  horse  in  height  jumping  raises  his  fore- 
quarters,  then  suddenly  straightens  his  hind  limbs, 
using  the  ground  for  a  fulcrum,  thus  propelling 
his  body  forward  and  upward.  He  should  land 
upon  his  forefeet  first,  but  not  too  perpendicu- 
larly, they  receiving  a  part  of  the  shock,  the  hind 
legs  follow  immediately  and  receive  most  of  the 
shock  and  are  in  position  to  propel  him  on  to  his 
stride. 

Before  going  to  the  field  he  should  be  jumped 
over  all  kinds  of  obstacles,  piles  of  dirt,  stacks 
of  lumber,  ladders,  chairs,  all  kinds  and  forms 
of  fences,  ditches,  dikes,  and  streams,  for  one 
can  never  tell  what  one  may  encounter  in  a  run 
across  country.  A  picket  fence  is  really  less  for- 
midable than  it  looks,  though  there  are  many 
horses  which  will  take  a  five-foot  rail  fence  that 
will  refuse  a  four-foot  picket.     If  approaching  a 


NORVIN  T.  HARRIS. 
M.  F.  H.  Hurstbourne  Hounds. 


Schooling  of  Hunters.  33 

picket  fence  from  the  stringer  side,  there  is  com- 
paratively little  danger,  as  a  light  blow  of  either 
leg  or  hoof  will  knock  off  the  picket;  from  the 
opposite  direction  the  picket,  protruding  above 
the  stringer  about  twelve  inches,  will  break  off 
close  to  the  stringer. 

While  it  is  not  generally  supposed  to  be  so, 
it  is  a  fact  that  fencing  and  timber  are  stiffer 
in  America  than  in  England.  In  England,  the 
uncertainty  of  what  lies  beyond  fences,  ditches, 
and  hedged  water  jumps,  with  yielding  banks, 
makes  them  very  hard  to  negotiate.  It  therefore 
requires  both  a  better  hunter  and  rider  in  Eng- 
land than  in  America  to  live  in  front. 

In  America,  the  most  dangerous  thing  to  be 
encountered  in  the  field  is  the  wire-topped  fence, 
whether  of  wood  or  of  stone,  and  it  is  to  be 
avoided,  whenever  possible. 

There  is  only  one  safe  way  to  jump  a  wire 
fence  and  that  is  by  placing  one's  coat  along  the 
top  wire.  This  plan  is  much  practiced  by  those 
who  do  not  carry  a  pair  of  wire  cutters  in  their 
pockets;  the  latter  class,  however,  largely  pre- 
dominate. 

Timidity,  soreness,  and  temper  are  the  main 
reasons  why  a  hunter  will  refuse  to  jump.  The 
two  former  combined  are  more  easily  overcome 
than  the  latter  alone,  but  never  forget  that  nine 
times  out  of  ten  the  fault  is  really  that  of  his 
rider    or    trainer,    and    that    it    is    unfair    and 


34  Horse  and  Hound. 

cowardly  to  punish  a  horse  for  some  one  else's 
fatilt. 

Kind,  rational  treatment,  combined  with  pa- 
tience, will  do  more  than  harsh,  unjust  punish- 
ment, especially  as  the  horse,  not  being  a  mind 
reader,  seldom  knows  just  what  he  is  punished 
for,  and  his  tendency  is  to  associate  the  punish- 
ment with  the  very  act  you  wish  performed,  rather 
than  the  mistake. 

Horses  properly  schooled  and  trained  un- 
doubtedly enjoy  hunting,  but  the  same  horses,  if 
confined  to  hurdling  and  steeple-chasing,  soon 
"sour."  I  attribute  this  more  to  the  punishment 
they  receive  than  to  anything  else,  for  horses  un- 
doubtedly enjoy  the  excitement  of  the  hounds 
and  the  chase. 

In  high  jumping,  when  approaching  the  ob- 
stacle the  rider  should  resolutely,  with  firm  seat 
and  hand,  give  the  horse  the  impression  that  a 
refusal  is  impossible.  You  can  tell  from  his 
shortened  step  and  extended  neck  just  when  he 
is  going  to  take  off,  then  lean  slightly  forward, 
allowing  the  hands  to  follow  his  head,  and  keep 
a  light,  steady  feel  of  his  mouth.  Remember 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  "lifting"  a  horse.  That 
is  as  impossible  as  lifting  one's  self  by  one's  boot 
straps,  and  any  interference  with  a  horse's  head 
in  the  act  of  jumping  is  a  decided  detriment  rather 
than  an  assistance  to  him. 

If  he  makes  a  "bobble"  in  landing,  he  can  be 


Schooling  of  Himters,  35 

very  materially  assisted  by  proper  support  on  the 
bit,  but  just  how  much  support  can  be  safely 
given  even  then  depends  very  largely  upon  the 
individual  horse,  his  particular  mouth,  and  its 
condition  at  the  time. 

If  it  becomes  necessary,  one  should  not  hesi- 
tate to  clutch  the  mane,  pommel,  or  cantle,  but 
never  pull  or  yank  the  reins.  In  the  former  case 
you  alone  may  fall,  but  in  the  latter  both  you 
and  the  horse  are  liable  to  come  down  with  a 
crash. 

Remain  firm  and  rigid  below  the  waist  line, 
above  the  waist  flexible.  Give  way  to  the  center 
of  gravity  by  balancing ;  you  will  thus  find  your- 
self leaning  forward  during  the  rise,  straight  at 
the  top,  and  backward  during  the  descent. 

As  soon  as  he  lands,  resume  proper  erect  posi- 
tion in  seat  without  assistance  from  reins,  again 
feel  of  his  mouth  and  do  not  allow  him  to  increase 
his  speed  until  he  has  gathered  himself  up  prop- 
erly and  is  in  his  natural  stride. 

Should  you  fail  to  perform  your  part  as  well 
as  the  horse  does  his,  and  you  take  a  tumble,  do 
not  release  the  reins  if  you  can  possibly  avoid  it. 
It  is  decidedly  better  to  take  chances  upon  being 
trampled  rather  than  dragged  by  the  stirrup,  for 
there  is  always  a  chance  of  this,  notwithstanding 
the  use  of  both  safety  bars  and  safety  stirrups. 

As  there  are  never  two  horses  alike  In  their 
character,  action,  disposition,  and  method  of  fenc- 


36  Horse  and  Hound. 

ing,  in  the  field  one  can  at  least  afford  to  allow 
his  horse  to  have  his  own  way,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, and  to  use  his  own  "think  tank"  in  jump- 
ing. Unless  you  are  an  expert,  he  will  know  as 
much  about  the  jump,  and  certainly  more  about 
his  own  individual  powers  as  a  timber  topper, 
than  you. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  a  horse  gets  his 
courage,  fear,  and  uncertainty  as  to  jumping 
from  his  rider,  and  if  your  courage  oozes  out  of 
the  tips  of  your  fingers  at  a  critical  place,  you  can 
as  surely  expect  his  courage  to  ooze  from  the  tip 
of  his  tail. 

In  the  South  and  West,  where  one  hunts 
through  heavy  woodlands,  and  through  country 
cut  up  by  coulees,  ruts,  and  gullies,  unless  a  horse 
has  had  special  training,  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  force  him  up  and  down  the  precipitous 
banks  encountered,  such  sliding  and  scrambling 
requiring  the  surefootedness  of  a  goat. 

Horse  shows  in  the  past  decade  have  done 
much  to  foster  and  improve  the  hunter  in  this 
country.  A  resume  of  rules  and  classes  at  the 
last  show  of  the  National  Horse  Show  Associa- 
tion will  be  found  both  useful  and  interesting  to 
the  admirer,  breeder,  and  user  of  the  hunter. 

Hunter  Classes. 

Horses  which  have  been  shown  at  any  place 
of  exhibition  for  a  fixed  compensation  or  guar- 


XI 


Schooling  of  Hunters.  37 

antee  shall  not  be  eligible  for  entry  as  Qualified 
Hunters.  They  may,  however,  be  counted  where 
performances  over   fences  only  count. 

All  exhibitors  entering  their  horses  in  the 
Qualified  Hunter  Classes  must  furnish  a  certifi- 
cate from  the  Master  of  the  Hounds  with  whom 
their  horses  have  been  hunted.  Forms  of  certifi- 
cate will  be  furnished  by  this  Association. 

Only  men  or  boys  over  fourteen  years  of  age 
will  be  allowed  to  ride  in  the  Hunter  or  Jumping 
Classes. 

All  horses,  to  win  prizes  in  the  Hunter 
Classes,  must  be  pronounced  practically  sound  by 
the  Veterinarians  of  the  Association,  and  must 
carry  a  minimum  weight  of  140  pounds. 

QuAuFiED  Hunters 

Must  have  been  kept  for  hunting  purposes  and 
have  been  regularly  hunted  with  a  recognized 
pack  of  hounds  for  one  year,  and  within  one 
year  of  date  of  entry. 

Horses  entered  as  hunters  can  not  be  entered 
in  classes  for  '^Horses  suitable  to  become 
hunters." 

Qualified  hunters  (heavy  weight)  up  to  car- 
rying over  190  pounds  to  hounds. 

Qualified  hunters  (middle  weight)  up  to  car- 
rying between   165  and   190  pounds  to  hounds. 

Qualified  hunters  (light  weight)  up  to  car- 
rying under  165  pounds  to  hounds. 


38  Horse  and  Hound, 

Conformation  and  quality  to  count  50  per 
cent;  performance  over  fences,  50  per  cent. 

Ladies'  qualified  hunters  must  be  up  to  car- 
rying 165  pounds  to  hounds. 

Conformation  and  quality  to  count  25  per 
cent;  performance  over  fences,  and  manners,  75 
per  cent. 

For  the  best  three  qualified  hunters  from  one 
Hunt,  to  be  shov^n  by  the  master,  whips,  or  mem- 
bers of  the  Hunt  in  the  Hunt  uniform,  uniforms 
and  appointment  to  count  25  per  cent. 

Corinthian  Class. 

Open  to  qualified  hunters  only 

Horses  must  be  ridden  by  members  of  some 
recognized  Hunt  Club.  Conformation  and  qual- 
ity to  count  25  per  cent;  performance  over  fences, 
75  per  cent. 

Jumping  Ci^asses. 

Jumping  class,  open  to  all 

Performances  over  fences  only  to  count. 

For  the  best  performance  of  hunters  or  jump- 
ers over  six  fences,  two  at  five  feet,  two  at  ^vt 
feet  six  inches,  and  two  at  six  feet,  to  carry  a 
minimum  weight  of  140  pounds. 

High  jump,  open  to  all. 

For  the  first  trial  the  bars  will  be  placed  at  a 
height  of  five  feet;  they  will  then  be  raised  to 
five  feet  six  inches,  to  six  feet,  to  six  feet  three 


Schooling  of  Hunters.  39 

inches,  and  six  feet  six  inches.  Only  three  trials 
will  be  allowed  each  horse  at  the  different  heights. 
In  the  event  of  two  or  more  horses  clearing  six 
feet  six  inches,  the  judges,  in  making  their 
awards,  will  consider  the  form  in  which  the 
horses  have  taken  their  jumps,  and  may,  in  their 
discretion,  increase  the  height  of  the  jump. 

In  addition,  classes  are  provided  for  thor- 
oughbred qualified  hunters,  and  horses  suitable 
to  become  hunters. 

The  bright  particular  stars  in  the  jumping 
classes  during  the  past  years  have  been  Rose- 
berry,  Ontario,  Filemaker,  Richmond,  Rudolph, 
Tychobrache,  Chappie,  and  Heatherbloom, 
Heatherbloom's  record  of  eight  feet  two  and  one- 
half  inches  is  the  world's  record,  and  will  un- 
doubtedly long  remain  so.  Chappie's  record  of 
clearing  twenty-five  feet  over  a  five  foot  eight 
inch  fence  places  him  in  a  class  by  himself. 


CROSS-COUNTRY  RIDING. 

Increased  interest  in  cross-country  riding  has 
grown  with  more  rapidity  in  the  past  few  years 
in  the  North  and  East  than  at  any  time  in  its 
history.  This  is  evidenced  by  the  increased  num- 
ber and  superior  quaHty  of  the  entries  in  the 
jumping  classes  in  the  horse  shows  and  the  or- 
ganization of  new  hunting  clubs  throughout  the 
country. 

There  are  many  works  on  the  horse  and  rid- 
ing that  enter  into  the  smaller  details  of  purely 
technical  instruction,  but  while  admitting  that 
theoretical  knowledge  is  of  value  in  every  sport, 
yet,  in  cross-country  riding  and  hunting,  prac- 
tice is  more  necessary  than  theory,  so  I  shall  con- 
fine myself  to  a  few  short,  practical  words  of  ad- 
vice and  instruction  to  riders  in  the  field,  trust- 
ing that  they  may  be  of  assistance  to  them  in 
working  out  their  own  salvation. 

Hunting  involves  riding  over  a  great  variety 
of  country,  and  requires  all  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  a  good  seat.  The  military  seat,  while 
advocated  by  many,  is  not  adapted  to  cross-coun- 
try riding,  though  some  extraordinary  feats  have 

40 


<  ^ 

I  > 

li 


Cross- Coimtry  Riding.  41 

been  performed  by  soldiers  of  both  the  French 
and  Italian  armies,  especially  in  the  line  of  hill 
climbing  and  precipitous  jumps. 

It  takes  considerable  nerve  (I  have  never 
been  accused  of  a  lack  of  it)  to  advance  a  theory 
in  regard  to  riding  directly  in  opposition  to  the 
well-known  theories  so  long  in  practice  in  Eng- 
land, and  I  shall  doubtless  be  hauled  over  the 
coals  for  doing  it,  but  I  want  to  go  on  record 
right  here  as  opposing  the  grip  seat  in  hunting 
and  cross-country  riding.  I  have  tried  both  the 
grip,  as  used  in  England,  and  the  balance  seat, 
as  used  in  America,  and  I  am  prepared  to  say 
that  there  is  no  earthly  comparison  either  for 
the  horse  or  for  the  rider  when  comfort  and 
safety  are  considered. 

It  would  be  a  difficult  task  to  convert  our 
English  cousins  to  this  style,  as  they  have  in- 
herited it  for  ages  from  sire  to  son,  but  it  was 
just  as  hard  to  convince  them  that  the  seat  of  our 
jockeys,  so  entirely  different  from  their  own, 
was  the  correct  one.  Though  Sloan,  Reiff,  and 
other  pioneer  jockeys  were  severely  criticized, 
they  continued  to  win  until  now  the  English 
jockey  seat  is  almost  a  duplicate  of  our  own. 

While  the  English  are  undoubtedly  slow  and 
thoroughly  hard  to  convince,  they  are  neverthe- 
less genuine  sportsmen,  open  to  conviction,  and 
I  expect  to  live  to  see  the  day  when  they  will  ride 
in  the  hunting  field  by  balance,  although  it  is  a 


42  Horse  and  Hound. 

well-known  fact  that  some  sportsmen  never  out- 
grow favorite  fancies,  whether  right  or  wrong. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  an  Englishman  to  try  rid- 
ing by  balance  even  on  the  flat,  and  as  for  timber 
topping  with  balance  seat,  such  a  suggestion 
would  cause  him  to  doubt  your  sanity,  and  this 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  none  of  the  many  Eng- 
lishmen who  essayed  riding  Buffalo  Bill's  buck- 
ing bronchos  succeeded,  while  the  balance  seat 
cowboys  rode  them  with  ease,  rolling  and  light- 
ing cigarettes  and  fanning  themselves  through- 
out the  pitching  and  bucking. 

I  recall  my  own  first  experience  in  riding  a 
bucking  broncho.  I  had  gone  West  upon  a  hunt- 
ing trip  to  Colorado  when  a  youth  of  seventeen, 
and  in  selecting  a  horse  from  the  band  for  my 
own  use,  I  decided  upon  a  sleek,  round-looking 
''Cayuse"  in  preference  to  the  many  thin,  wiry, 
run-down-looking  ones  in  the  band,  not  knowing 
at  the  time  that  his  condition  was  positive  evi- 
dence that  he  was  a  "bucker."  Being  asked  if 
I  had  ever  ridden  a  "bucker,"  I  remarked  that  I 
had  been  raised  on  horseback  in  Kentucky  and 
could  ride  anything  that  wore  hair.  In  a  few 
moments  I  regretted  my  remark,  when  I  found 
myself  piled  up  in  a  corner  of  the  adobe  wall  sur- 
rounding the  corral  and  the  onlookers  giving  me 
the  laugh.  I  had  hardly  seated  myself  when  he 
commenced  as  fine  an  exhibition  of  bucking  as 
ever  was  seen.     Not  having  taken  the  precau- 


Cross- Country  Riding,  43 

tion  to  adjust  the  stirrup  leathers  I  was  unable  to 
assume  a  balance  seat,  and  the  motion  being  an 
entirely  new  and  novel  one  to  me,  I  attempted 
to  hold  on  by  gripping  the  legs.  This  soon 
brought  me  to  grief  and  to  grass.  Knowing  that 
it  would  never  do  to  give  it  up,  I  had  the  leathers 
adjusted — quite  a  lengthy  undertaking  on  a  cow- 
boy's saddle — and  by  this  time  had  recovered 
some  of  the  wind  that  had  just  been  knocked  out 
of  me.  One  of  the  ranchmen  remarked,  "Turn 
yourself  loose  in  the  saddle,  Kentuck,  and  you 
will  have  him."  This  I  rightly  interpreted  as 
meaning  "Ride  him  by  balance."  I  did  so,  and 
thus  solved  the  mystery  of  riding  a  "bucker," 
and  afterwards  made  quite  a  reputation  as  a 
"broncho  buster." 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  President 
Roosevelt  is  a  fox-hunter,  but  such  is  the  fact. 
In  this,  as  v/ell  as  everything  else  he  undertakes, 
he  is  an  enthusiast  and  an  expert.  He  thor- 
oughly understands  and  practices  the  balance 
seat  which  has  enabled  him  and  his  horses  to 
make  record-breaking  rides  in  the  West,  as  well 
as  to  negotiate  fences  that  men  of  his  weight  de- 
cline. The  illustration  shows  him  on  his  favor- 
ite hunter,  "Bleistein." 

Those  who  learn  to  ride  late  in  life  lean  for- 
ward with  uncertain  seat,  which  necessarily 
means  a  heavy  hand  on  the  bit;  they  seldom  ac- 
quire a  good  seat,  and  I  can  tell  at  a  glance  a 


44  Horse  and  Hound. 

rider  (more  especially  a  woman)  who  acquired 
practical  knowledge  of  riding  when  young. 

The  easiest  and  surest  way  to  learn  to  jump 
by  balance  is  bareback,  without  reins  or  anything 
in  the  hands ;  in  a  few  lessons  one  will  acquire  a 
correct,  firm,  close  seat  that  it  would  take  months 
to  obtain  in  the  ordinary  way. 

By  balance  only  can  the  center  of  gravity  be 
maintained  throughout  a  jump  from  the  take  off 
to  the  landing.  In  riding  by  grip  the  center  of 
gravity  can  not  be  shifted  and  the  weight  of 
rider  practically  remains  at  the  same  point  or 
level. 

The  balance  seat,  aside  from  being  the  secur- 
est and  easiest  on  horse  and  man,  is  the  most 
natural,  as  is  proved  by  bareback  boy  riders  and 
Indians  and  cowboys,  who  are  accounted  among 
the  best  riders  in  the  world. 

That  grip  riding  is  much  harder  upon  man 
than  balance  riding  is  evidenced  by  complaints  of 
the  former  as  to  cramps  and  stiffness  after  eight 
or  ten  hours  in  the  saddle. 

From  all  accounts  of  Tom  Smith's  riding  and 
seat,  he  undoubtedly  rode  by  balance  and  not  by 
grip,  and  while  he  was  much  criticised  by  his 
English  friends  for  his  ''loose  seat  and  inelegant 
riding,"  his  worst  enemy  could  not  but  say  a  bet- 
ter rider  in  results  never  went  across  country,  as 
his  record  of  90  foxes  in  91  days'  hunting  has 
never  been  equaled. 


44 


Cross- Country  Riding.  45 

Light  hands  are  the  most  necessary  and  hard- 
est qualification  for  a  rider  to  acquire.  A  Hght 
hand  is  one  that  feels  a  horse's  mouth  as  deli- 
cately as  a  physician  feels  one's  pulse,  putting  no 
more  pressure  upon  it  than  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary. 

The  necessity  for,  and  importance  of,  this 
can  not  well  be  overestimated,  as  a  horse's  dis- 
position, action,  and  manners  in  the  field  are  en- 
tirely governed  and  controlled  by  it.  A  good 
rider  with  good  hands  can  rectify  and  cure  many 
bad  faults  in  a  horse. 

The  seat  of  the  rider  has  more  to  do  with 
the  lightness  and  heaviness  of  a  rider's  hands 
than  any  other  thing,  the  stability  of  seat  exert- 
ing great  influence  upon  the  mouth.  In  other 
words,  a  rider  with  bad  seat  can  never  hope  to 
acquire  good  hands. 

Never  take  it  for  granted  that  the  groom  has 
attended  to  all  the  details  of  arranging  bits  and 
curb,  girths  and  stirrup  bars — the  fact  that  it  is 
his  duty  to  do  so  is  very  good  reason  why  he  has 
not  done  so — therefore  never  mount  until  you 
have  verified  all  these  details  and  know  they  have 
received  proper  attention;  that  is,  if  you  respect 
your  life  and  limb,  as  the  possibility  of  an  acci- 
dent is  a  feature  of  hunting  we  can  not  ignore, 
for  there  are  times  when  neither  nerve  nor  skill 
avail  against  it. 

In  mounting,  approach  the  horse's  he^d  on 


46  Horse  and  Hound. 

the  left  side,  speak  to  him,  and  pat  him  on  the 
neck  or  crest.  Take  position  opposite  the  near 
forefoot,  facing  quartering  to  the  rear.  Speak 
to  the  horse  again,  grasp  the  reins  in  the  left  hand 
with  snaffle  reins  shortened,  left  hand  on  horse's 
neck  near  the  withers.  If  a  tall  horse,  twist  a  lock 
of  mane  between  thumb  and  forefinger.  Place 
toe  of  foot  in  stirrup  with  right  hand,  only  as  far 
as  ball  of  foot,  seize  cantle  of  saddle  on  right 
side  with  right  hand,  spring  from  right  foot  as- 
sisted by  right  hand  only,  throw  right  leg  clear 
of  cantle  and  ease  down  into  seat  by  friction  of 
right  leg  on  saddle  flap.  Retain  grip  on  mane 
until  well  into  seat,  being  very  careful  not  to  ex- 
ert any  pressure  on  the  reins  during  process  of 
mounting.  If  horse  starts  before  well  in  the  seat 
do  not  jerk,  but  speak  to  him  and  take  light  ten- 
sion on  bit.  If  the  horse  and  his  habits  are  well 
known  to  you,  and  you  can  safely  rely  on  his 
standing  perfectly  still  and  not  moving  or  kick- 
ing while  mounting,  you  can  take  position  oppo- 
site vStirrup  leathers  and  face  quartering  to  head, 
which  is  an  easier  way  of  mounting.  The  stirrup 
leathers  should  not  be  too  long,  as  a  military  seat 
is  not  desirable,  but  just  long  enough  to  enable 
the  rider  to  clear  the  pommel  when  erect,  and  to 
obtain  balance  forward  and  backward  when  ris- 
ing and  descending  to  a  jump.  This  will  place 
the  leg  from  knee  down  perpendicular  to  the 
ground  and  parallel  with  the  horse's  front  leg ;  the 


Cross- Country  Riding.  47 

elasticity  of  knee  and  ankle  in  this  position  will 
assist  in  taking  off  the  jar  of  the  horse's  com- 
pact with  the  ground. 

In  handling  four  reins  in  one  hand,  the  left 
snaffle  should  be  outside  little  finger,  right  snaffle 
between  first  and  middle  fingers,  left  curb  be- 
tween little  and  third  finger,  and  right  curb  be- 
tween middle  and  third  fingers,  the  ends  of  all 
four  drawn  upward  and  between  thumb  and  first 
finger,  falling  over  the  thumb — being  pressed 
against  first  finger  by  thumb. 

The  snaffle  and  curb  reins  may  be  taken  up 
or  relaxed  quickly  by  the  right  hand  without  re- 
leasing hold  or  position  of  same  with  left  hand, 
which  would  cause  confusion. 

In  jumping,  it  is  well  to  reverse  the  relative 
position  of  the  snaffle  and  curb  reins,  as  the  curb 
will  seldom  be  brought  into  use  and  should  be 
used  sparingly. 

Remember  the  reins  are  the  telephone  wires 
that  establish  communication  between  horse  and 
rider,  and  are  not  intended  for  punishment  or 
torture.  Cruel  bits  never  cured  a  confirmed 
bolter  or  puller,  and  should  be  condemned. 

The  elbows  should  be  carried  against  side  of 
body,  hands  low  down  close  to  body,  knuckles 
out,  wrists  slightly  bent.  In  jumping  never 
throw  up  the  arms.  This  is  a  fault  I  uncon- 
sciously possessed,  and  never  knew  it  until  I  no- 
ticed it  in  photos  taken  while  fencing.  Had  any 
4 


48  Horse  and  Hound. 

one  accused  me  of  it  I  should  have  indignantly 
denied  it.  It  had  evidently  become  a  fixed  habit, 
as  I  found  it  quite  difficult  to  break  myself  of  it. 

As  to  saddles, — this  largely  depends  upon  the 
conformation  of  the  man.  Saddles  that  are  thin 
and  flat  and  fit  close  to  the  horse  are  the  best  for 
the  average  man,  and  should  cover  as  much  of 
the  horse  as  possible  without  being  too  large  for 
the  rider.  I  have  probably  tried  every  kind  of 
saddle  in  use,  and  personally  prefer  the  Whit- 
man field  officer's  military  saddle  with  slightly 
elevated  pommel  and  extension  cantle. 

All  hunting  saddles  should  have  the  safety 
stirrup  leather  bars;  these  should  be  kept  well 
oiled  and  frequently  opened.  I  have  lost  both 
stirrup  and  leather  upon  several  occasions  in  run- 
ning through  thick,  tangled  woods,  but  have  been 
more  than  repaid  for  their  loss  by  being  released 
at  critical  times. 

In  addition  to  the  safety  bars,  I  also  use  a 
safety  stirrup,  this  being  an  extra  precaution  sel- 
dom taken,  but  I  believe  in  the  old  adage  of  an 
''ounce  of  prevention  being  worth  a  pound  of 
cure." 

Martingales  should  never  be  used  unless  a 
horse  absolutely  demands  them,  and  but  few  do. 
The  stiff  martingale  should  never  be  used. 

Too  much  care  and  attention  can  not  be  de- 
voted to  properly  bitting  a  hunter.     Powerful, 


Correct  Seat. 


Incorrect  Seat. 


Cross- Country  Riding.  49 

cruel  bits  of  variable  intensity  cause  nervous 
horses  to  degenerate  into  plungers,  bolters,  and 
pullers.  While  the  Pelham,  Chifney,  and  Whit- 
man bits  are  popular,  the  plain  port  curb  and 
Bridoon  (snaffle)  is  the  most  serviceable  and 
humane,  and  is  best  for  both  horse  and  rider. 

The  constant  or  too  frequent  use  of  spurs  will 
deaden  the  sensibility  of  the  horse;  they  should 
be  almost  entirely  for  ornament,  and  seldom,  if 
ever,  used.  However,  they  are  like  the  ''pistol  in 
Texas." 

If  the  horse  is  backing  into  another  horse  or 
into  an  obstacle  and  danger  threatens  which  can 
be  avoided  by  quick  action,  then  they  are  ex- 
cusable, but  never  as  a  means  of  punishment  or 
to  rally  a  flagging  horse,  as  long  as  the  crop  is 
at  hand. 

If  rowels  are  used,  they  should  have  the  points 
filed  off. 

Never  ride  with  a  slack  rein — it  makes  a 
horse  careless,  lazy,  and  indifferent  to  his  gaits 
and  manners,  and  may  be  the  means  of  ''entering 
him"  to  prayer.  A  tight  rein  is  equally  as  bad, 
as  the  steady,  constant  pull  makes  pullers  of 
horses  that  would  otherwise  have  very  "genteel 
mouths." 

In  ascending  hills  and  steep  banks,  take  a 
winding,  or  zigzag,  course;  in  descending  go 
straight  down — if  the  horse  should  slip  he  can 


50  Horse  and  Hound. 

slide  down  on  his  haunches,  but  when  going  down 
sideways  there  is  no  chance  of  him  recovering  his 
balance. 

If  you  realize  your  horse  is  getting  beyond 
your  control,  instantly  begin  sawing  the  reins 
through  his  mouth,  especially  the  snaffle,  followed 
with  a  quick  succession  of  jerks  and  pulls.  It  is 
seldom  that  a  runaway  horse  can  be  stopped  by  a 
dead  pull ;  if  you  have  strength  to  accomplish 
this,  your  strength  will  break  the  bit  or  bridle 
before  your  object  is  accomplished. 


FALLS. 

ThkrE  is  about  as  much  art  in  falling  as  in 
riding.  Unfortunately,  there  is  but  one  way  of 
becoming  an  ''adept,"  and  that  is  by  practice. 
But  little  advice  can  be  given.  Some  say  stick- 
on  to  the  last ;  others,  clear  yourself  for  action  the 
moment  you  feel  a  fumble.  If  your  stirrup  safety 
bars  are  in  good  working  condition  and  your 
horse  makes  a  bungle  of  his  jump  or  comes  down 
upon  his  knees  in  landing,  kick  your  feet  loose 
from  the  stirrups,  grasp  him  by  the  mane,  give 
him  his  head,  and  scramble  astride  along  with 
him,  and  when  he  rises  you  will  be  surprised  to 
find  how  often  you  come  up  with  him  probably 
not  in  the  saddle,  but  on  him  somewhere  from 
withers  to  croup.  But  should  he  unseat  you, 
throwing  you  over  his  head,  keep  going,  rolling 
or  scrambling  to  keep  ahead  of  him,  for  they  fre- 
quently make  the  second  stumble  in  gathering 
their  hind  legs  under  them.  If  you  realize,  how- 
ever, that  you  are  out  of  the  seat  and  have  no 
chance  to  regain  it,  shrug  the  shoulders  up  close 
around  the  neck  and  tuck  your  head.  Do  not 
straighten  or  stiffen  the  body  and  limbs,  but  go 
all  in  a  heap,  the  same  as  you  have  seen  many 

SI 


52  Horse  and  Hound. 

a  drunken  man  fall  on  the  street — they  do  not 
possess  the  charmed  lives  ascribed  to  them;  their 
many  wonderful  escapes  are  due  to  the  manner 
in  which  they  fall,  i.  e.,  "all  of  a  heap." 

If  he  falls  or  rolls  upon  you  and  you  can  grasp 
him  around  the  neck  as  near  the  head  as  possible, 
do  so,  and  hold  him  down  until  either  assistance 
arrives  or  you  are  satisfied  your  feet  are  clear  of 
the  stirrups  and  no  bones  are  broken,  when  you 
may  release  him.  Some  may  smile  at  this  ad- 
vice, thinking  it  impossible  to  thus  hold  a  horse 
down.  I  know  it  is  possible,  for  I  have  person- 
al] tried  it  successfully  upon  three  occasions. 

Retain  your  hold  upon  the  reins  as  long  as 
possible;  you  will  find  them  of  great  assistance  in 
reaching  ''terra  firma"  with  less  momentum,  and 
it  may  be  the  means  of  saving  you  a  mad  chase 
across  the  field  after  your  horse,  and  a  man  im- 
doubtedly  looks  as  big  a  fool  as  he  feels  in  this 
interesting  occupation. 

If  one  experiences  immunity  from  falls,  the 
constant  dread  of  it  will  always  be  with  him,  but 
one  or  two  harmless  croppers  will  soon  set  him 
at  ease,  though  no  one  will  hardly  assert  that  a 
cropper  is  an  enjoyable  addition  to  the  day's 
sport.  I  would  not,  therefore,  advise  one  to  seek 
it,  but  let  it  find  him  ready  when  it  does  come. 

One  can  never  be  a  really  good  cross-country 
rider  until  he  has  had  a  few  falls;  in  fact,  they 
add  to  rather  than  detract  from  the  nerve  and 


Correct  Seat. 


Incorrect  Seat. 


Falls,  53 

courage  necessary  to  face  the  perils  encountered 
in  a  stiff  country. 

If  a  man  or  woman,  especially  the  latter,  gets 
a  fall,  they  should  remount  at  once,  if  physically 
able;  a  loss  of  nerve  at  this  stage  is  seldom  re- 
gained, and  there  is  no  better  way  to  avoid  it 
than  by  resuming  the  saddle  immediately. 

My  wife  received  an  ugly  fall  from  a  high- 
spirited  horse  and  was  so  completely  unnerved 
that,  though  completely  uninjured,  she  could  not 
be  induced  to  remount.  The  consequence  was 
she  has  never  to  this  day  regained  nerve  enough 
for  the  field;  and  while  before  she  would  keep 
her  horse  stabled  for  days  to  make  him  high  spir- 
ited and  restive,  she  now  renounces  all  but  an  old 
family  riding  horse. 

I  can  not  recall  ever  having  heard  any  one 
describe  the  feelings  experienced  in  their  first 
cropper,  but  I  shall  never  forget  my  own.  I  felt 
as  though  I  were  flying  through  space  and  would 
never  reach  the  ground.  My  first  thought  on 
landing  was,  in  fact  I  am  not  certain  but  that  I 
audibly  expressed  it  in  the  words,  ''Well,  that 
was  not  so  bad." 

Saddle  courage  should  not  be  confounded  with 
recklessness  and  dare-deviltry.  They  are  as 
widely  separated  as  the  poles.  The  former  is 
as  much  to  be  admired  as  the  latter  is  to  be  con- 
demned. 


IN  THE  FIELD. 

•*  The  dusky  night  rides  down  the  sky, 
And  ushers  in  the  morn, 
The  hounds  all  join  in  glorious  cry, 
The  huntsman  winds  his  horn." 

Hunting  in  moderation,  as  indulged  in  in 
this  country,  is  a  rational  amusement  and  recrea- 
tion. In  England  this  ancient  sport  has  lost  none 
of  its  prestige,  for  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  man 
to  hunt  from  four  to  six  days  a  week.  It  even 
assumes  the  proportions  of  professionalism,  and 
a  man  conditions  and  trains  himself  the  same  as 
horse  and  hound. 

Surely  our  cousin  John  Bull,  when  it  comes 
to  sustaining  ancestral  sportsmanship,  never  does 
things  by  halves,  and  fully  upholds  England's 
reputation  as  a  nation  of  sport  lovers. 

We  are  too  apt  to  neglect  the  fundamental 
principles  of  hunting  and  riding  in  our  greedy 
desire  to  become  past  grand  masters  in  the  art. 
For  instance,  how  very  few  of  us  ever  become 
judges  of  pace?  how  few  of  us  fully  realize  the 
.e^reat  importance  of  giving  the  subject  any 
thought?  and  yet  to  one  who  desires  to  be  known 
as  a  first  flight  man,  one  that  can  live  in  front, 
it  is  absolutely  necessary. 
54 


In  the  Field.  55 

Hunting,  unlike  other  sports,  has  no  written 
rules  for  instruction  of  the  novice,  therefore 
necessary  customs  and  observances  can  only  be 
acquired  by  actual  experience  in  the  field. 

If  you  have  neither  the  time  nor  inclination 
to  make  practical  study  of  fox-hunting  and  wish 
to  enjoy  an  occasional  day's  hunting  without 
detracting  from  the  pleasures  of  others  afield,  the 
adoption  of  the  following  "do  n'ts,"  with  a  slight 
knowledge  and  experience  of  hounds  and  hunt- 
ing, and  the  ability  to  keep  your  mouth  closed, 
your  eyes  and  ears  open,  looking  wise,  will  ma- 
terially assist  you  in  fooling  others  into  the  be- 
lief that  you  are  a  ''real  blown  in  the  bottle"  fox- 
hunter. 

On  your  way  to  the  "meet"  avoid  crossing  or 
riding  over  country  there  is  any  possibility  of  be- 
ing hunted  later  on,  especially  if  there  are  sev- 
eral in  your  party.  Foxes  that  have  been  hunted 
before  take  their  cue  from  your  horse's  foot-steps 
and  your  own  voice,  and  act  accordingly. 

Do  not  fret  and  worry  your  horse  en  route 
by  "larking"  (jumping  unnecessary  fences),  he 
will  need  every  ounce  of  his  reserve  force  later  on. 

While  it  is  unpardonable  for  any  one  to  join 
the  field  without  a  thorough  knowledge  of  at  least 
the  rudimentary  rules  of  the  game,  a  novice,  es- 
pecially a  w^oman,  may  offend  the  customs  and 
observances  of  the  field ;  do  not  swear  at  the  man 
or  scowl  at  the  woman,  no  matter  how  strongly 


56  Horse  and  Hou7td. 

you  may  be  tempted  to  do  so,  and  do  not  waste 
your  spleen  upon  your  horse,  who  is  no  more  re- 
sponsible for  it  than  yourself. 

Upon  reaching  covert  before  hounds  are  cast, 
dismount,  adjust  saddle  and  girths,  and  if  horse 
is  heated,  walk  him  quietly  a  few  minutes,  taking 
care  that  he  does  not  step  upon  or  kick  any  of 
the  hounds. 

When  hounds  are  cast  off,  remain  perfectly 
quiet  and  keep  your  horse  so-;  hounds  are  easily 
rattled  at  this  stage,  and  too  much  enthusiasm 
upon  your  part  may  cause  them  to  "run  riot." 

Do  your  talking  before  hounds  are  cast  off 
and  never  ask  the  master  or  huntsman  any  ques- 
tions as  to  why  they  did  thus  and  so  during  a  run. 
Later  on  when  the  run  is  finished  you  stand  a 
better  chance  of  getting  a  civil  answer. 

If  you  see  a  fox  break  cover  or  cross  a  field, 
halloo  "Tally-ho  away,''  and  point  in  the  direc- 
tion, but  do  not  start  after  him  until  the  hounds 
either  have  a  view  or  are  placed  on  the  line.  Re- 
member you  can  not  catch  him  without  the 
hounds. 

During  a  check  or  loss  do  n't  talk  about  your 
last  partner  at  the  cotillion,  your  run  of  luck  the 
night  before  at  bridge,  or  where  your  favorite  ball 
team  will  finish  the  season.  Of  all  times  this  is 
when  you  should  be  quietest,  and  if  you  are  a 
woman  do  not  at  this  particular  time,  I  beseech 
you,  ask  a  man  to  hold  your  horse  while  you  do 


•  •  ••         / 


/ 


Correct  Seat. 


Incorrect  Seat. 


In  the  Field.  57 

up  your  back  hair.  This  seems  to  be  a  favorite 
time  for  this  performance,  and  many  a  time  have 
I  groaned,  yes,  cussed,  in  spirit  when  this  request 
has  been  made  of  me.  This  request  and  the  in- 
quiry '*are  my  girths  loose?"  have  more  than 
once  caused  a  chill  to  run  up  and  down  my  spine, 
and  naughty  words  to  come  up  in  my  mouth.  Do 
not  understand  me  as  objecting  to  women  in  the 
field ;  I  much  prefer  them  to  addle-pated  men,  and, 
in  fact,  I  have  probably  done  as  much  hunting 
with  women  as  with  men,  and  I  am  free  to  con- 
fess the  women  of  Kentucky  are  equal,  if  not 
superior,  to  the  men  in  the  saddle.  I  am  sure  they 
are  more  reckless  and  take  greater  chances,  and  I 
know  they  have  greater  respect  for  both  the  writ- 
ten and  unwritten  laws  of  the  hunt. 

Never  leave  your  line  to  seek  another  jumping 
place  unless  you  are  sure  no  one  else  is  within 
se^^eral  hundred  yards  and  making  for  the  same 
objective  point.  If  any  one  is  fencing  ahead  of 
you,  make  certain  he  has  made  a  clean  ''lep''  and 
is  out  of  the  way.  It  is  bad  enough  to  ''come  a 
cropper"  yourself,  without  having  some  one  else 
jump  on  top  of  you. 

Never  select  as  a  pilot  a  man  you  do  not  know 
to  be  a  fox-hunter  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and 
if  you  see  a  rider  tearing  across  a  distant  field  at 
your  right  or  left,  do  not  go  to  him  unless  you 
have  something  more  tangible  than  his  action  to 
urge  you. 


58  Horse  and  Hound. 

Always  be  on  the  lookout  for  hounds,  espe- 
cially in  jumping.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  kill  a 
good  hound,  but  it  is  a  very  difficult  one  to  re- 
place it. 

If  you  are  a  novice  do  not  try  to  fool  yourself 
into  the  belief  that  the  art  of  riding  well  to  hounds 
can  be  acquired  by  every  one.  Most  any  one  can 
become  a  good  rider  on  the  flat,  but  it  takes  long 
years  of  experience  and  keen  observation  in  the 
field  to  keep  hounds  in  view;  reserve  your  own 
and  horse's  strength,  and  be  "in  at  the  death." 

A  good  flat  rider  who  finds  himself  for  the 
first  time  following  the  hounds,  may  be  timid  at 
the  first  fence;  after  that  fear  disappears,  and 
the  wild  exhilaration  and  excitement  brings  de- 
light known  only  to  a  cross-country  rider.  He 
scatters  anxiety  and  fear  to  the  winds,  taking  al- 
most impossible  jumps  with  renewed  courage  and 
increasing  confidence  as  he  follows  the  vanishing 
pack.  It  is  only  when  he  finds  himself  embracing 
mother  earth  he  realizes  "  't  is  the  pace  that 
kills,"  and  the  coveted  distinction  of  'living  in 
front"  is  enjoyed  by  the  careful,  painstaking  rider, 
and  that  breakneck  riding  and  a  corresponding 
disregard  of  consequences  will  often  bring  their 
own  reward. 

One  actual  practical  experience  like  this  in 
the  field  is  worth  all  the  reading  and  theoretical 
knowledge  one  can  gain  of  hunting  in  a  lifetime. 

Never  force  or  hurry  hounds  in  puzzling  out 


In  the  Field,  59 

a  cold  scent ;  this  is  one  of  the  most  fruitful  means 
of  spoiling  sport.  If  you  feel  restless  and  impa- 
tient, dismount  and  sit  upon  a  fence  or  stump. 
If  you  and  your  horse  are  impatient  it  will  surely 
be  communicated  to  the  hounds  and  a  check  will 
soon  develop  into  a  loss. 

Never  get  ahead  of  the  hounds;  remember, 
no  matter  how  great  the  temptation  to  be  seen  ''in 
front,"  you  can  not  catch  the  fox  yourself,  but 
you  can,  and  probably  will,  spoil  a  day's  sport  for 
a  score  of  people  by  such  tactics. 

To  make  and  retain  a  reputation  and  charac- 
ter as  a  good  hunter  is  a  hard  job,  but  in  no  w^ay 
can  one  add  to  it  more  than  by  careful  and  judi- 
cious riding,  relative  to  the  hounds  in  the  field. 

One  should  never  ride  in  the  proximity  of 
hounds  and  not  too  far  to  right  or  left  to  inter- 
fere with  a  swing  or  cast  they  might  chance  to 
make. 

In  passing  hounds  on  the  road  or  lane,  halt 
your  horse  until  all  have  passed.  If  listening  for 
voice  of  hounds  hold  your  horse's  head  up;  never 
let  him  nibble  grass,  twigs,  or  bushes,  or  champ 
his  bit — this  is  an  abominable  habit,  and  a  horse 
should  be  broken  of  it. 

If  one  rides  off  from  the  crowd  to  listen  to 
and  locate  the  pack,  do  not  follow  or  approach 
him.  In  a  chase,  do  not  consider  it  necessary  to 
tie  your  horse  to  the  tail  of  the  M.  F.  H.  It  is 
extremely  annoying  to  him  to  be  crowded. 


6o  Horse  and  Hound. 

Never  start  on  a  thoroughly  empty  stomach, 
calculating  that  you  will  return  in  time  for  lunch 
or  dinner;  always  put  a  cracker  or  biscuit  in  your 
pocket.  Many  a  time  have  I  had  occasion  to  feel 
thankful  when,  utterly  exhausted,  I  ran  across 
such  in  a  pocket,  though  they  were  several  days 
old. 

Never  mind  what  the  other  fellow  does;  at- 
tend to  your  ow^n  knitting,  he  will  take  care  of 
himself,  and  there  is  no  one  to  look  after  you 
but  yourself. 

Do  not  boast  of  what  phenomenal  jumps  you 
made  in  the  run.  If  the  field  saw  them  that  is  all 
that  is  necessary;  if  they  did  not,  they  won't  be- 
lieve you,  so  save  your  breath  and  reputation. 

Whenever  you  are  thrown  in  contact  with  a 
conceited  rider,  you  can  rest  assured  that  he  ac- 
quired his  education  as  a  rider  either  at  his  club 
or  from  viewing  hunters  from  a  box  at  a  horse 
show;  there  is  nothing  that  takes  conceit  out  of 
such  a  one  as  quickly  as  a  few  runs  across  a  stiff 
country. 

Hard,  level  turf  or  sod  is  best  ground  for  a 
take  off  as  well  as  a  landing.  If  possible,  always 
avoid  flat  rock  or  loose  stones  in  landing.  In- 
variably put  horse  at  middle  of  a  panel  rather 
than  at  either  side;  the  reasons  are  too  obvious 
to  mention. 

If  you  have  decided  on  a  certain  panel  and 
have  started  for  it,  unless  for  very  good  reasons 


JUDGE  C.   FLOYD  HUFF. 

Arkansas. 


60 


In  the  Field.  6i 

do  not  change  your  mind,  and  if  you  find  you 
have  not  time  enough  to  change  direction  so  that 
you  may  reach  the  new  take  off  at  right  angles, 
do  not  attempt  an  obHque  jump,  but  pull  up  and 
go  back. 

When  taking  a  stone  wall  where  the  landing 
can  not  be  seen  and  is  an  unknown  quantity, 
though  the  jump  ma}'  not  be  high  it  is  best  to  in- 
crease the  speed,  the  momentum  insuring  a  wider 
jump,  thus  clearing  any  loose  stones  or  obstacles 
that  may  be  close  to  the  fence  on  the  landing  side, 
which  is  frequently  the  case  where  the  top  or  cop- 
ing denotes  a  low  place  in  the  wall. 

If  you  are  riding  by  balance  and  feel  that  you 
have  lost  your  center  of  gravity  in  jumping,  do 
not  attempt  to  steady  yourself  with  the  reins,  take 
hold  of  the  mane,  pommel,  or  cantle  in  prefer- 
ence. This  may  not  look  so  w^ell  to  the  novice  or 
green  hunter  who  is  watching  you,  but  an  old- 
timer  will  readily  understand  it,  and  give  you 
credit  for  not  yanking  or  jerking  your  horse  from 
his  stride  or  flight,  and  I  am  sure  your  horse  will 
appreciate  it. 

Unless  thoroughly  acquainted  with  your 
mount's  methods  in  jumping,  never  try  a  fence  or 
gap  with  boughs  or  branches  overhead  unless  you 
want  to  be  hooked  under  the  chin,  as  some  horses 
will  go  as  high  for  a  two  as  a  four  foot  jump.  In 
crossing  a  woodland  or  wooded  pasture  do  not  go 
under  the  trees  if  at  high  speed,  as  fallen  limbs 


62  Horse  and  Hound. 

covered  by  tall  grass  and  weeds  are  liable  to  cause 
you  to  ''come  a  cropper." 

If  at  a  stiff  jump  you  realize  your  horse  is  off 
his  stride,  not  well  in  hand,  ungathered,  and  legs 
not  well  under  him,  it  is  better  to  pull  up,  and 
turning,  make  another  go  at  it,  than  to  take  the 
chance  of  landing  on  the  top  rail.  This  may  fret 
your  horse  and  cause  some  of  your  "admirers" 
to  smile,  but  take  my  word  for  it,  it  is  a  wise 
move. 

Watch  your  horse's  ears  and  feel  of  his 
mouth,  they  are  sure  indicators  of  whether  he  is 
ready  and  willing,  sour  or  sore,  over  the  ap- 
proaching jump.  If  found  ready  and  willing, 
wdth  gentle  pressure  of  knee  and  rein  advise  him 
that  you  are  also  ready,  and  indicate  from  your 
resolute,  yet  quiet  manner,  that  you  will  expect 
him  to  do  his  part;  do  not  hesitate,  falter,  or  ex- 
hibit any  indecision  of  manner  unless  you  wish  to 
communicate  the  same  to  your  mount. 

Under  the  heading  of  jumping  I  have  given 
full  instructions  as  to  the  relative  speed  for  the 
dift'erent  obstacles  to  be  cleared. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  fences  and  walls  do 
not  require  as  much  speed  as  ditches,  brooks,  and 
wide  obstacles,  where  the  momentum  gained  will 
be  an  advantage  in  clearing  space. 

An  experienced  rider  in  approaching  a  fence 
will  never  look  for  the  lowest  place,  but  wnll 
rather  look  for  the  place  with  the  best  take  off  and 


In  the  Field.  63 

landing;  with  these  accessories  a  good  hunter's 
powers  for  clean  jumping  are  almost  unlimited. 

I  do  not  mean  by  this  to  counsel  the  selection 
of  high  jumps,  but  I  do  mean  that  a  high  jump 
with  good  take  off  and  landing  is  much  safer 
than  a  lower  one  with  bad  take  off  and  landing. 

The  rider  who  selects  the  high  jumps  irre- 
spective of  other  conditions,  merely  to  show 
off  his  ability,  or  rather  his  lack  of  sense,  is 
generally  properly  classed  by  the  genuine  hunters 
afield. 

If  hounds  are  fencing  in  advance  of  you,  wait 
until  you  see  them  well  beyond  the  fence;  do  not 
take  it  for  granted  that  they  will  get  out  of  your 
way.  No  man  can  estimate  what  a  hound  will  do 
with  any  certainty  under  any  circumstances. 

If  you  are  not  ambitious  of  becoming  a 
''thruster"  or  first  flight  man,  and  are  contented 
to  let  others  ''blaze  the  trail"  for  you,  do  not  al- 
ways fellow  a  leader  or  pilot ;  your  horse  may  be- 
come so  accustomed  to  it  he  may  refuse  to  jump 
without  one.  A  leader  is  generally  an  incentive 
to  any  horse  to  jump,  as  well  as  to  refuse,  should 
one  in  front  of  him  set  the  example. 

The  Walkers  train  their  hunters  to  jump 
fences  from  a  virtual  standstill,  and  I  have  seen 
them  take  some  remarkable  jumps,  especially 
when  it  is  considered  they  weigh,  on  an  average, 
225  pounds  and  ride  with  very  heavy  saddles. 

Their  horses  average  about  15-2;  I  can  not 
5 


64  Horse  and  Hound. 

recall  ever  seeing  one  of  them  on  a  i6-hand  horse. 
More  than  once  I  have  trailed  behind  one  of  them 
through  thickets  and  brush  almost  impassable  to 
ordinary  horses,  they  blazing  and  opening  the 
way  at  full  speed.  On  more  than  one  occasion 
have  I  seen  Woods  Walker  in  thick  woodland  put 
his  horse  at  a  fallen  tree  with  boughs  and  leaves 
still  on,  measuring  eight  to  ten  feet  high.  Of 
course,  he  did  not  clear  it,  but  went  high  enough 
to  force  the  smaller  limbs  and  boughs  aside  and 
let  him  through  and  over;  showing  the  courage 
of,  and  the  unbounded  confidence  the  horse  had 
in  the  rider.  I  never  attempted  to  follow  him  but 
once,  and  then  came  to  grief,  landing  with  my 
horse  on  top  of  the  fallen  tree,  much  to  my 
chagrin. 

Many  a  good  run  has  been  spoiled  by  not  al- 
lowing the  hounds  to  settle  well  on  the  line  be- 
fore being  crowded  by  hunters ;  many  get  excited 
and  hardly  know  what  they  are  doing. 

The  practiced  ear  will  readily  distinguish  a 
hound's  tongue  when  out  of  sight.  When  you 
hear  a  hound  open  do  not  put  spurs  to  your  horse 
to  get  to  him  unless  you  recognize  his  voice  and 
know  the  hound  very  well;  he  may  fool  you.  If 
other  hounds  are  in  sight  watch  them  closely,  they 
will  "heads  up"  at  the  sound  and  listen  intently, 
and  if  not  thoroughly  satisfied,  will  again  go  to 
hunting.  This  may  be  repeated  several  times; 
then,  without  any  apparent  difference  in  tone  or 


*T3 


7; 

CD 

a 

c 
o 


In  the  Field,  65 

sound,  when  another  cry  is  heard,  so  similar  you 
can  not  detect  the  difference,  the  hounds  will 
"hark"  to  it,  and  with  bristles  up  and  sterns  lash- 
ing, take  fences  in  their  mad  flight  as  though  they 
were  but  a  foot  high,  in  their  eagerness  to  "get 
in."  They  know  the  characters  of  their  hound 
friends  better  than  you,  and  know  when  they  are 
either  bluffing,  lying,  or  are  in  earnest. 

When  casting  never  offer  to  assist  as  long  as 
the  hounds  are  diligently  trying  to  strike  it  off; 
the  less  they  are  interfered  with  the  better;  they 
understand  finding  a  fox  better  than  you.  AVhile 
a  good  voice  in  a  hunter  is  a  most  desirable  qual- 
ity, it  should  be  used  sparingly  and  with  judg- 
ment ;  the  ear-piercing,  soul-lacerating  yells  some- 
times encountered  in  the  field  only  serve  to  excite 
the  hounds  and  result  in  more  harm  than  good. 

Hounds  while  fresh  are  very  excitable,  and 
unless  you  want  them  to  overrun  the  line  at  the 
first  turn  and  make  a  loss,  do  not  press  them  too 
closely.  This  fault  of  the  hunter  is  responsible 
for  spoiling  more  good  runs  than  all  the  bad  soil, 
high  winds,  and  climatic  conditions  combined. 

One  should  never  forget  that  it  is  through 
the  courtesy  of  the  farmer  that  fox-hunting  is 
made  possible,  and  in  crossing  his  land  greatest 
care  should  be  exercised  in  not  injuring  his  crops, 
fencing,  and  stock. 

In  Kentucky  we  are  particularly  handicapped 
in  hunting.     The  two  greatest  products  of  the 


66  Horse  and  Hound, 

State  are  hemp  and  tobacco,  and  a  run  of  fox 
and  hounds  alone  through  the  tobacco  means  a 
serious  loss  to  the  owner.  Fields  and  woodlands 
not  in  cultivation  contain  hundreds  of  fine  brood 
mares  whose  colts,  either  by  their  sides  or  in 
utero,  are  worth  thousands  of  dollars,  and  noth- 
ing so  excites  thoroughbred  mares  as  a  pack  of 
hounds. 

The  talk  abount  hunting  being  a  source  of  rev- 
enue to  the  farmer  may  do  in  a  small  country  like 
England;  but  in  America  hunters  and  grain  may 
be  raised  three  thousand  miles  away  from  where 
hunting  is  indulged  in. 

Hunting  in  America  requires  an  altogether 
different  hound  from  England,  conditions  being 
very  dissimilar.  Here  hounds  require  superior 
hunting  ability,  wide  ranging,  greater  persever- 
ance and  patience,  and,  above  all,  a  much  better 
nose  to  enable  them  to  take  an  old  and  cold  track, 
probably  made  the  day  before,  and  work  it  out 
inch  by  inch  for  six  or  eight  hours  if  necessary. 
They  get  absolutely  no  assistance  from  the  hunter 
and  have  no  one  to  rely  on  but  themselves.  I 
have  known  instances  where  a  single  hound  would 
slip  away  from  home,  travel  eight  or  ten  miles  to 
where  he  had  previously  run  a  fox,  find  an  old 
trail,  and  work  it  diligently  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
hours  without  ceasing. 

If  there  are  any  such  hounds  in  England  they 
have  never  been  sent  to  this  country. 


In  the  Field.  6y 

A  habit  I  have,  that  I  have  never  known  an- 
other to  possess,  is  carrying  a  few  quinine  pellets 
in  my  vest  pocket.  I  have  made  this  a  practice  for 
years.  After  a  long,  hard  run,  even  on  chilly  days 
or  in  a  soaking  rain,  I  have  found  myself  wet 
with  perspiration,  and  a  pellet  of  quinine  taken 
during  a  check  has  prevented  a  chill  and  cold. 
This  habit  of  mine  is  so  well  known  that  I  have 
had  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  in  a  single  day  to 
apply  to  me  for  a  pellet. 

Many  interesting  stories  are  told  illustrative 
of  ''once  a  fox-hunter  always  a  fox-hunter,"  and 
of  the  love  of  man  and  horse  for  the  chase  never 
deserting  them. 

A  custom  much  in  vogue  in  England,  but  sel- 
dom practiced  in  this  country,  is  braiding  or  tying 
a  red  ribbon  to  the  tail  of  a  kicking  horse,  and 
the  same  to  the  foretop  of  a  biter.  Thorough- 
breds are  especially  addicted  to  these  habits,  and 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  break  them. 

The  habit  of  tying  red  ribbon  to  barbed  wire 
in  a  fence  as  a  warning  is  also  practiced  in  Eng- 
land, and  is  undoubtedly  a  wise  precaution,  but 
it  would  require  the  entire  output  of  several  trusts 
in  red  ribbon  to  supply  the  hunting  districts  here. 

Owing  to  the  character  of  the  country  through 
wooded  districts,  it  is  frequently  impossible  to 
keep  the  hounds  within  either  sight  or  hearing; 
then  the  craft  of  the  hunter  with  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  game  comes  into 


68  Horse  and  Hound, 

play.  If  sheep  or  cattle  are  in  sight  he  can  tell 
at  a  glance  if  they  have  passed  in  their  vicinity, 
and,  in  fact,  the  very  direction  they  took.  Every 
flock  of  fowls,  farm  dog,  or  cur  of  low^  degree  is 
an  indicator.  If  a  band  of  horses,  he  can  tell 
whether  the  hounds  were  close  upon  or  far  be- 
hind the  fox.  If  there  is  a  crow  or  jay  bird  in 
the  neighborhood,  he  can  locate  the  fox,  as  both 
are  inveterate  enemies  of  the  fox,  and  will  not 
only  "peach"  upon  him,  but  do  everything  in 
their  power  to  advise  the  world  at  large  of  the 
fox's  presence.  All  of  these  signs  would  be  as 
"Greek"  to  the  novice. 

Every  country  has  its  own  style  of  horn;  the 
small  straight  copper  horn  with  brass  mouthpiece 
and  leather  case  used  in  England,  is  well  known 
to  all.  The  French  brass  hunting  horn,  with  its 
winding  tubes  and  flaring  base;  the  cornet  or 
bugle  of  Italy  and  Spain  are  not  so  familiar.  In 
this  country  the  Eastern  hunt  clubs  have  adopted 
the  English  horn,  the  New  England  hunter  uses 
the  bugle,  while  the  hunter  of  the  South  and 
West,  where  great  stress  is  laid  upon  the  tone  and 
quality  of  the  horn,  uses  the  cow  horn.  Many 
hunters  have  horns  that  have  been  handed  down  in 
their  families  for  successive  generations  and  they 
prize  them  very  highly,  treasuring  them  as  family 
heirlooms.  In  night  hunting  there  is  a  peculiar 
charm,  a  mysterious  sweetness  about  the  tone  of 
a  good,  well-blown  horn  that  no  other  musical 


68 


In  the  Field.  69 

instrument  possesses.  Its  melody  fills  the  heart 
of  a  hunter  and  quickens  his  blood,  as  does  the 
drum  and  bugle  that  of  a  soldier. 

It  is  remarkable  how  readily  a  hound  learns 
the  tone  of  his  master's  horn  and  never  seems  to 
forget  it  or  confuse  it  with  another.  At  hound 
trials  of  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association, 
when  the  hunt  for  the  day  had  been  ''called  off," 
I  have  known  a  score  of  owners  to  call  in  their 
scattered  hounds,  all  winding  their  horns  at  the 
same  time,  and  every  hound  would  go  to  his  own 
horn.  I  do  not  think  this  possible  with  any  but 
the  cow  horn,  as  all  brass  and  metal  horns  are 
more  or  less  alike. 

Green  was  the  original  color  worn  in  the  hunt- 
ing field  until  succeeded  by  the  showy  scarlet  in 
the  time  of  George  II.  In  England  the  pink  coat, 
white  hunting  breeches,  top  boots,  and  silk  hats 
are  the  proper  dress  for  the  field ;  they  are  seldom 
seen  in  America,  except  upon  dress  parade  and 
at  the  hunt  balls.  The  Eastern  hunt  clubs  are 
conservative  in  their  dress,  not  running  to  either 
extreme.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  with  us  in  the 
South  the  majority  do  not  pay  enough  attention 
to  dress,  seldom  going  beyond  boots  and  riding 
breeches.  A  silk  hat  is  a  rarity,  an  "oiled 
slicker"  being  more  common.  In  the  South  these 
men  and  women  are,  for  the  most  part,  those  with 
a  right  to  love  any  kind  of  blue-blooded  sport. 
Some  of  them,  indeed,  may  not  have  the  blood  of 


70  Horse  and  Hound. 

great  families,  but  they  are  born  fox-hunters,  and 
wearing  the  old  slouch  hat  and  the  country  jeans 
trousers,  are  the  representatives  of  forefathers 
who  hunted  foxes  in  years  gone  by,  over  the  same 
ground. 

The  matter  of  dress,  therefore,  outside  of  the 
officers  and  assistants  of  regularly  organized  hunt 
clubs,  is  one  largely  of  individual  taste,  and  as 
fashions  are  continually  changing,  a  consultation 
with  a  fashionable  tailor  would  doubtless  be  more 
satisfactory  than  any  advice  I  might  give  on  the 
subject. 

Field   Do  n'ts. 

Do  n't  ride  on  the  coat  tails  of  the  man  you 
have  selected  as  your  pilot. 

Do  n't  press  hounds  on  the  road. 

Do  n't  leave  gates  open. 

Do  n't  fail  to  tie  red  ribbon  on  your  horse's 
tail  if  a  kicker,  and  on  foretop  if  a  biter. 

Do  n't  forget  civility  to  natives. 

Do  n't  let  your  mount  eat  grass  or  champ  bits 
when  hounds  are  working. 

Do  n't  over  or  under  dress. 

Do  n't  ask  questions  of  M.  F.  H. 

Do  n't  ride  over  country  to  be  hunted  in  go- 
ing to  meet. 

Do  n't  blow  your  horse  unnecessarily. 

Do  n't  ride  over  hounds  either  in  field  or  road. 


In  the  Field.  71 

Do  n't  discuss  hounds  unless  you  are  an  ex- 
pert. 

Do  n't  offer  suggestions  to  officers  of  the  hunt. 

Don't  draw  comparisons — they  are  fre- 
quently odious. 

Do  n't  lose  your  temper. 

Do  n't  tell  about  what  your  hounds  and  horse 
can,  or  did,  do. 

Do  n't  rush  your  fences. 

Do  n't  abuse  your  mount. 

Do  n't  jump  unnecessarily. 

Do  n't  spur  or  cluck. 

Do  n't  halloo — let  the  other  fellow  do  it. 

Do  n't  stay  mounted  all  the  time ;  dismount 
whenever  standing. 

Do  n't  pump  your  mount  in  plowed  ground. 

Do  n't  cross  grain  fields — go  around  them. 

Drag-Hunting. 

There  are  two  classes  of  sportsmen  who  in- 
dulge in  drag-hunting.  The  busiiiess  man  who 
can  spare  but  a  few  hours  at  a  time  from  his 
office,  and  the  man  who,  having  the  time  at  his 
disposal,  ''hunts  to  ride,"  rather  than  ''rides  to 
hunt." 

Unfortunately  they  lose  all  the  true  sport  de- 
rived from  a  knowledge  of  hounds  and  foxes, 
consequently  knowing  nothing  of  the  finer  points 
and  many  delicate  intricacies  of  the  game,  so 


72  Horse  and  Hound. 

thoroughly  and  keenly  enjoyed  by  an  enthusiastic 
and  genuine  fox-hunter. 

To  my  mind  the  fascinating  uncertainty  of 
success  in  hunting,  is  one  of  the  greatest  charms 
that  appeals  to  the  hunter  and  adds  chief  est  zest 
to  the  sport;  in  drag-hunting  this  is  all  missing. 

However,  it  is  fortunate  that  we  do  not  all 
feel  and  act  alike,  for  if  all  the  sportsmen  in  the 
world  took  to  fox-hunting,  what  a  strenuous  life 
the  fox  would  lead. 

A  drag-hunter  will  enlarge  upon  the  merits  of 
his  horse,  of  which  he  is  generally  a  most  excel- 
lent judge  and  admirer;  tell  you  to  an  inch  the 
height  and  number  of  fences  he  jumped,  who  took 
a  cropper,  what  a  glorious  "run"  he  had,  but 
never  mention  a  hound  or  anything  about  their 
work;  in  fact,  he  regards  horses  and  riding  as 
the  whole  thing,  and  hounds  as  mere  accessories. 

Not  so  with  the  fox-hunter;  he  jumps  fences 
or  knocks  them  down,  it  is  immaterial  to  him 
which,  so  he  is  not  delayed;  is  in  the  saddle  ten 
or  twelve  hours,  and  incidentally  in  several  coun- 
ties during  the  run ;  he  reaches  home  probably  at 
midnight  in  a  drenching  rain,  cold,  wet,  and 
hungry,  takes  a  night-cap  and  sleeps  like  a  log. 
Blow  your  horn  at  his  gate  at  daylight  and  in- 
form him  you  are  off  for  a  hunt  and  see  if  any 
power  on  earth  can  keep  him  from  accompanying 
you.  While  en  route  to  cover  ask  him  about  his 
run  of  the  previous  day,  and  he  will  go  over  every 


DR.  J.  H.  PARKER. 
New  York. 


72 


In  the  Field.  73 

foot  of  "the  line,"  tell  you  every  "loss"  or 
"check,"  every  "cast"  made  by  each  individual 
hound,  which  hound  "struck  it  off,"  and  every  de- 
tail of  the  "running  and  trailing."  Ask  him  about 
his  mount,  how  the  field  rode,  character  of  coun- 
try covered,  and  he  will  look  at  you  in  blank 
amazement — this,  the  fox-hunter. 

Drag-hunting,  however,  has  its  devotees  who 
seem  to  extract  much  enjoyment  out  of  it,  and 
for  a  business  man  chained  to  his  desk,  who  can 
only  get  away  occasionally,  and  can  not  spare  the 
time  necessary  to  successful  fox-hunting,  it  is 
doubtless  an  excellent  substitute. 

Those  who  desire  to  try  it  will  find  the  fol- 
lowing an  excellent  drag:  One-half  ounce  oil 
anise  seed,  one-half  ounce  essential  oil  valerian, 
one  and  one-quarter  ounce  castor  oil.  Hounds 
must  be  broken  to  this  scent,  however.  The  bet- 
ter plan  is  to  keep  foxes  in  a  zinc-lined  box  or 
cage,  save  the  urine  and  drag  a  sponge  or  rag 
well  saturated  with  it.  A  sheepskin  kept  in  same 
box  can  also  be  used  as  a  drag;  either  of  these 
are  preferable  to  the  anise-seed  bag. 

Running  a  bag  fox  may  be  a  harmless  amuse- 
ment, but  it  is  a  poor  substitute  and  a  base  imi- 
tation of  genuine  sport.  I  must  plead  guilty, 
however,  to  the  charge  of  having  indulged  in  it. 

A  bag  fox  will  not  run  like  a  wild  fox;  even 
though  fresh  and  uninjured,  they  generally  run 
down  wind ;  and  though  hounds  run  them  in  only 


74  Horse  and  Hound. 

a  half-hearted  way,  I  never  knew  one  to  get  his 
"ticket  of  leave"  before  a  pack  of  hounds  when 
turned  down  under  favorable  conditions  for 
trailing. 

If  given  twenty  minutes'  license  they  are  gen- 
erally killed  in  less  than  the  same  amount  of  time 
after  the  hounds  are  laid  on  the  line.  I  have 
known  of  several  instances  in  which  hounds  ut- 
terly refused  to  run  a  bag  fox;  in  fact,  one  of 
the  best  ''all-round"  hounds  I  ever  owned  could 
never  be  induced  to  run  a  bag  fox. 

One  form  of  fox-hunting,  as  practiced  in 
America,  that  is  extremely  popular,  especially  in 
the  South,  is  "night-hunting."  It  is  regarded  by 
Eastern  and  Northern  hunters  very  much  in  the 
same  light  as  drag-hunting  is  by  Southerners. 
While  I  have  indulged  in  it  more  or  less  all  my 
life,  I  must  say  it  has  never  been  popular  with 
me;  I  care  more  for  one  good  daylight  run  than 
a  month  of  night  hunting. 

I  can  not  account  for  its  popularity  or  the 
strong  hold  it  has  obtained  upon  its  devotees  (who 
are  legion),  unless  the  fact  that  in  the  South  one 
can  hunt  every  night  in  the  year,  whereas,  if  they 
had  to  depend  upon  days  with  proper  hunting 
conditions,  the  runs  would  be  but  few  and  far 
between.  There  are  many  hunting  enthusiasts 
held  in  its  bondage  whose  chiefest  zest  in  the 
sport  is  derived  from  the  melody  of  the  deep- 
toned  tongues  of  the  clamorous  pack  in  full  mo- 


In  the  Field.  75 

tion  brought  to  them  on  the  night's  mild  breezes. 
One  of  this  class  is  quoted  by  John  Fox,  in  his 
article  on  ''Fox-hunting  in  Kentucky,"  as  saying:, 
''I  never  expect  to  hear  sweeter  music  unless  by 
the  grace  of  heaven  I  hear  some  day  the  choiring 
of  angels.'*' 

In  night  hunting  no  attempt  is  made  to  "ride 
to  hounds,"  but  the  hunters  take  advantage  of  the 
fact  of  a  fox  always  running  the  same  line,  and 
by  an  easy  hand  gallop  along  the  roads  and  lanes 
can  always  reach  the  crossings  in  time  to  see  the 
screaming  pack  go  by.  If  the  night  is  too  dark  to 
distinguish  the  individual  forms  of  the  hounds, 
these  grizzled  old  fox-hunters,  who  by  birth,  tra- 
dition, and  practice  combined,  keep  alive  the  in- 
herited hunting  instinct,  know  the  mouth,  or 
tongue,  of  every  hound  in  the  pack,  and  can  at 
the  end  of  an  all-night's  run  tell  you  the  exact 
position  of  every  hound  throughout  the  run  much 
better  than  you  or  I  could  relate  of  a  run  seen  in 
the  daytime. 

Master. 

In  America  (except  with  hunters)  the  posi- 
tion of  master  of  hounds  is  but  little  understood 
and  appreciated.  Never  make  the  mistake  of  be- 
coming ''master"  of  a  pack  simply  because  you 
are  rich  and  can  afford  it,  and  it  is  the  swell  thing 
to  do.  I  know  of  no  position  of  as  great  respon- 
sibility, requiring  as  many  high-class  qualifica- 


T6  Horse  and  Hound. 

tions  in  one  man.  He  must  have  the  patience  of 
Job,  a  natural  love  of  the  sport  combined  with  a 
thorough  knowledge  not  only  of  the  game  in  all 
its  mystifying  details,  but  of  humanity  as  well. 
He  must  be  sensible  and  good  tempered,  with 
tact  and  ability  enough  to  be  firm  without  being 
offensive. 

A  M.  F.  H.  is  as  much  of  a  king  (in  the  field) 
as  an  ordinary  man  ever  gets  to  be.  His  word  is 
law — even  though  that  law  be  an  unwritten  one. 

No  master  can  ever  please  an  entire  field,  no 
matter  what  his  ability  or  how  hard  he  may  try ; 
therefore  the  master  who  hunts  with  the  one  idea 
of  killing  his  fox  in  a  workman  and  sportsman- 
like manner  will  be  the  one  who  is  voted  a  suc- 
cess. 

He  should  jog  quietly  to  the  meet.  If  the 
field  has  not  arrived  at  the  appointed  time,  he 
should  not  wait  over  ten  minutes.  Hounds  will 
get  impatient  and  be  liable  to  run  riot  if  held  in 
restraint  longer.  Those  present  wnll  abuse  him 
as  roundly  for  the  delay  as  those  who  are  tardy 
will  for  not  waiting  for  them. 

The  position  of  master  of  a  pack  is  an  envia- 
ble one,  invested  with  dignity  and  responsibility, 
and  is,  therefore,  one  of  the  most  complimentary 
ones  w^hich  gentlemen  can  tender  a  brother  sports- 
man, and  should  not  be  accepted  lightly  or 
thoughtlessly. 

In  a  few  of  the  Eastern  hunt  clubs  the  M.  F. 


rt 


FRANK  SHERMAN  PEER. 
New  York. 


76 


In  the  Field.  77 

H.  has  to  employ  the  huntsman,  whippers-in,  and 
supply  mounts  for  same  and  self ;  in  a  majority  of 
them  the  expense  of  attendants  and  mounts  is 
borne  by  the  club. 

As  in  this  country  the  master  or  owner  (fre- 
quently one  and  the  same)  generally  acts  as 
huntsman,  the  following  advice  will  apply  to  both : 

The  man  who  hunts  a  pack  should  never  get 
excited  or  lose  his  head.  This  is  the  most  griev- 
ous fault  one  can  possess,  as  it  will  be  surely  com- 
municated to  one's  hounds  and  horse.  He  should 
at  any  sacrifice  acquire  the  habit  of  self-control 
and  practice  it  religiously.  If  in  doubt  at  any 
time  as  to  what  course  you  should  pursue,  do  not 
consult  your  field,  but  act  with  decision  and 
promptness.  A  vacillating  mind  will  not  only 
lose  you  much  ground  at  a  critical  part  of  a  run, 
but  may  lose  you  the  confidence  of  your  field.  If 
you  are  in  doubt  keep  the  fact  to  yourself  and 
trust  to  luck  for  turning  out  all  right. 

A  good  voice  is  a  rich  inheritance  for  master 
or  huntsman,  but  it  must  be  used  with  discretion 
and  judgment;  remember  a  noisy  hunter  is  even 
worse  than  a  babbling  hound. 

A  master  or  huntsman  should  never  attempt 
to  collect  hounds  by  a  false  call.  He  may  fool 
them  a  few  times,  but  they  will  soon  find  him  out 
and  he  will  have  cried  wolf  too  often. 

In  the  field  but  one  man  should  have  charge 
of  or  hunt  the  hounds,  and  no  one  should  so  far 


yS  Horse  and  Hound. 

forget  himself  as  to  offer  unsolicited  assistance 
or  suggestions. 

A  successful  huntsman  should  have  intuitive 
knowledge  bordering  upon  instinct,  he  should 
possess  patience,  perseverance,  courage,  and  ac- 
tivity, and  be  a  fearless  rider  with  a  good  head 
upon  his  shoulders.  In  addition  to  the  above  he 
should  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  ways 
and  habits  of  a  fox  and  a  well-defined  idea  based 
upon  practical  experience  as  to  just  what  a  fox 
is  apt  to  do  under  various  circumstances  over 
which  he  (the  fox)  has  no  control. 

Knowledge  of  the  country  to  be  hunted  is  of 
essential  service  to  a  huntsman,  especially  in 
"striking  off  a  loss"  or  making  casts  to  counter- 
balance time  lost  in  the  earlier  checks  of  a  run. 

As  to  the  qualifications  necessary  in  a  hunts- 
man in  England,  Beckford,  than  whom  there  is 
no  better  authority,  says: 

"He  should  be  young,  strong,  bold,  and  enter- 
prising, fond  of  the  diversion,  and  indefatigable 
in  the  pursuit  of  it;  he  should  be  sensible  and 
good  tempered;  he  ought  also  to  be  sober;  he 
should  be  a  good  horseman  and  a  good  groom; 
his  voice  should  be  strong  and  clear,  and  he 
should  have  an  eye  so  quick  as  to  perceive  which 
of  the  hounds  carries  the  scent  when  all  are  run- 
ning; and  should  have  so  excellent  an  ear  as  al- 
ways to  distinguish  the  foremost  hounds  when 


In  the  Field.  79 

he  does  not  see  them ;  he  should  be  quiet,  patient, 
and  without  conceit." 

That  the  office  of  huntsman  in  England  is  not 
a  sinecure  or  a  bed  of  roses,  is  proven  by  the 
record  of  Will  Danby,  a  celebrated  huntsman  in 
1830,  as  follows: 

Three  thigh  dislocations,  all  of  his  ribs  laid 
bare  on  the  right  side  up  to  breast  bone,  left  arm 
broken  once,  right  shoulder  dislocated,  collar  bone 
broken  twice,  fracture  of  the  skull  above  left  eye, 
and  innumerable  flesh  rents. 

Jim  Treadwxll,  another  celebrated  huntsman 
who  flourished  in  the  early  forties,  while  hardly 
the  physical  curiosity  of  Danby,  must  have  been 
a  very  ''busy"  man,  as  he  is  credited  with  having 
"run  into"  (killed)  3,760  foxes  during  his  career 
in  the  saddle. 

A  whipper-in  should  be  a  good  horseman,  ca- 
pable of  riding  light,  with  knowledge  of  how  to 
save  his  mount  in  case  it  should  be  wanted  by  the 
master  or  huntsman. 

He  is,  in  fact,  an  understudy  for  the  hunts- 
man, and  must  have  enough  practical  knowledge 
of  the  game  to  assume  the  huntsman's  role  upon 
short  notice. 

He  should  implicitly  obey  orders  of  the  master 

or  huntsman,  whether  he  thinks  them  right  or 

wrong,   and   should   never   criticise  any   act   of 

either,  and  while  he  should  refrain  from  offering 

6 


8o  Horse  and  Hound. 

information,  he  should  always  have  a  civil  answer 
for  any  member  of  the  field. 

He  should  be  sparing  of  his  lash,  never  hit  a 
hound  unnecessarily  or  in  temper,  and  yet  be  con- 
stantly on  the  alert  for  breaches  of  discipline  upon 
the  part  of  the  hounds.  It  is  also  his  duty  to  see 
there  is  no  straggling,  that  no  hounds  are  left 
afield  after  the  hunt,  and  that  the  field  do  not 
ride  over  or  encroach  upon  the  hounds  at  work 
or  on  the  road. 

In  the  South  a  whip  (not  whipper-in)  is  sel- 
dom seen  in  the  field  upon  hunting  days.  I  have 
been  master  of  the  Iroquois  Hunt  for  twenty  years 
and  master  of  the  National  Hounds  ten  years,  and 
in  all  of  their  hunts  have  never  seen  a  whip  used 
a  single  time  to  enforce  obedience,  the  hounds  be- 
ing controlled  solely  by  the  voice  after  having 
once  been  broken  and  trained. 

The  earth  stopper  is  practically  an  unknown 
quantity  in  hunting  in  America.  In  England  he 
is  generally  an  old  gamekeeper,  retired  huntsman, 
or  crippled  whipper-in,  whose  duty  is  to  visit  the 
earths  (dens)  of  foxes  the  night  before  a  hunt, 
and  while  the  foxes  are  abroad  to  stop  up  their 
entrances  with  bundles  of  boughs  or  twigs  bound 
together,  and  cover  lightly  with  sod  and  earth, 
thus  preventing  the  occupant  from  going  to  earth 
(holing)  during  a  run.  After  the  chase  they  are 
unstopped. 


J.   L.  STACK. 

F.  H.  Midlothian  Hunt, 
Chicago. 


80 


WOMEN  IN  THE  FIELD. 

It  is  fortunate,  indeed,  that  fashion,  pleasure, 
and  health  all  combine  to  make  the  accomplish- 
ment of  'Viding  to  hounds"  a  most  desirable  one 
for  women  to  acquire. 

In  its  acquirement  it  is  unnecessary  for  a 
woman  to  learn  the  qualifications  of  a  rough  rider 
or  horse  breaker,  nor  is  it  yet  sufficient  that  she 
be  merely  able  to  ride  when  a  horse  is  brought 
around  saddled  and  bridled,  but  should,  like  a 
man,  know  both  her  horse  and  trappings,  and 
be  able  to  control  her  horse  with  correctness  and 
precision. 

It  matters  not  how  well  a  woman  may  ride 
in  the  park  or  school ;  unless  she  has  discretion  or 
judgment,  combined  with  an  abundance  of  nerve, 
pluck,  and  common  "boss"  sense,  she  should  not 
essay  the  hunting  field.  Loss  of  nerve  is  not  un- 
common, and  once  lost  is  hard  to  recover. 

To  obtain  these  highly  necessary  qualifica- 
tions, her  entire  nervous  system  needs  education 
and  special  preparation,  as  the  best  of  woman 
riders  are  born  and  not  made. 

Elegance  in  riding  is  absolutely  indispensable, 
Si 


82  Horse  and  Hound. 

or  at  least  highly  desirable.  It  is  as  easy  to  show 
gentle  breeding  in  the  field  as  in  the  drawing  or 
ball  room — probably  easier;  yet  I  have  known 
women  to  give  every  evidence  of  it  in  the  draw- 
ing-room who  seemed  unable  to  show  it  in  the 
field. 

No  matter  whether  in  the  park,  school,  or 
field,  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  for  a  woman 
to  ride  in  good  form.  In  fact,  there  is  little  or  no 
excuse  for  a  woman  riding  otherwise.  Quiet, 
unobtrusive  manners  on  horseback  will  always 
attract  attention  and  favorable  comment. 

The  rules,  customs,  and  unwritten  laws  of  the 
hunting  field  laid  down  for  men,  apply  with  equal 
force  to  women;  they  should  bear  in  mind  they 
have  absolutely  no  privileges  not  accorded  to 
men.  This  may  sound  harsh  to  the  layman  or 
novice  (I  hope  this  plain  heart-to-heart  talk  with 
women  will  not  be  construed  into  a  lack  of  gal- 
lantry upon  my  part),  but  I  am  sure  will  be  fully 
understood  and  appreciated  to  the  limit  by  any 
old  hunter,  either  man  or  woman. 

In  fact,  no  woman  with  the  true  spirit  of  a 
sportswoman  within  her  wants  to  be  a  burden  or 
care  to  a  man  under  conditions  existing  in  the 
field.  She  does  not  expect  or  care  for  attentions 
ordinarily  extended,  but  wants  to  be  treated  as  an 
equal,  a  companion  in  sport;  in  fact,  a  good  fel- 
low, and  can  only  enjoy  herself  under  such  con- 
ditions.    Therefore,  no  special  instruction  or  ad- 


Women  in  the  Field.  83 

vice  will  be  laid  down  here  for  the  conduct  of 
women  in  the  field. 

They  must  early  learn  to  trust  to  their  own 
dexterity  and  judgment  for  their  safety  and  posi- 
tion in  the  run. 

Riding  to  hounds  may  seem  easy  to  one  while 
seated  in  a  comfortable  chair  in  a  cozy  corner  of  a 
drawing-room,  but  upon  a  cold,  raw,  wet,  slip- 
pery day,  on  the  back  of  a  fretful,  nervous  horse, 
approaching  a  high  fence  with  no  idea  of  what  is 
beyond,  and  doubtful  if  your  horse  has  power 
enough  left  to  carry  you  over  or  on  top  of  the 
fence,  it  assumes  an  entirely  different  aspect. 

No  woman  should  ride  to  hounds  until  she 
can  manage  all  sorts  and  kinds  of  horses,  mount 
and  dismount  unaided,  jump  fearlessly,  and  be 
capable  of  looking  after  both  herself  and  her 
horse  under  any  and  all  circumstances. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that  a  woman 
should  hold  her  own  in  the  first  flight  of  hard 
riding  men,  yet  I  have  seen  them  not  only  at- 
tempt it,  but  succeed,  but  only  through  a  display 
of  recklessness  and  dare-deviltry  that  had  a  man 
been  guilty  of  it,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  had 
every  bone  in  his  body  broken. 

I  never  accord  such  riders  a  superabundance 
of  either  skill  or  pluck,  but  ascribe  their  per- 
formances to  either  ignorance  of  the  dangers,  or 

d foolishness  upon  their  part.     The  after 

talk  of  "the  ministering  care  of  her  guardian 


84  Horse  and  Hound. 

angel'*  and  "the  all-protecting  influence  of  provi- 
dence over  drunkards  and  fools"  sounds  very 
well,  but  some  day  she  will  be  brought  in  from 
the  field  on  a  stretcher. 

As  to  the  horse  a  woman  should  ride  in  the 
field,  the  most  necessary  qualifications  are  good 
mouth,  level  head,  sure  foot,  both  in  jumps  and 
on  the  field.  He  should  have  good  withers,  not 
too  high  and  thin,  as  a  sore  back  will  follow,  yet 
withers  should  not  be  lower  than  croup,  as  it 
will  be  almost  impossible  to  hold  the  saddle  in 
place;  for  the  same  reason  a  broad  back  is  perfer- 
able  to  a  narrow  one. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  have  too  small  a  horse  for  a 
woman,  especially  if  she  rides  with  side-saddle; 
the  same  weight  on  a  side-saddle  is  much  harder 
on  a  horse  than  a  man's  saddle. 

A  five  foot  woman  should  use  not  less  than 
a  1 5- 1  horse,  irrespective  of  her  weight. 

Few  women  are  good  judges  of  pace,  or  the 
amount  of  endurance  a  horse  is  capable  of,  and 
are  inclined  to  regard  them  as  a  machine  of  un- 
limited power.  They  should  early  learn  to  gauge 
a  horse's  capacity,  distressed  breathing,  and  la- 
bored action  are  the  most  positive  indications  of 
distress.  A  game,  ambitious  hunter  will  go  until 
he  drops  in  his  tracks.  Aside  from  the  cruelty  of 
riding  an  overdone  horse,  it  is  exceedingly  dan- 
gerous. 

A  woman's  horse  should  be  broken  for  walls 


Typical  Lady's  Hunter. 


Heavy  Weight  Hunter. 


Women  in  the  Field.  85 

before  being  sent  to  the  field,  a  good  timber  top- 
per does  not  necessarily  mean  a  stone  fence  or 
brook  jumper. 

Many  of  the  accidents  encountered  in  the  field 
occur  in  the  break  away,  before  the  field  becomes 
''strung  out,"  when  the  fox  breaks  covert,  and 
the  signal  is  given  to  "away."  A  woman  should 
keep  her  wits  about  her,  and  take  her  time  in  get- 
ting position,  allowing  the  madcaps  and  the  hot- 
heads to  have  the  first  fence  or  gate  to  them- 
selves. It  is  seldom  the  first  away  are  the  first 
in  at  the  death.  If  in  doubt  as  to  the  landing 
side,  do  not  hesitate  to  jog  up  to  the  fence  and 
take  a  look,  provided  there  is  no  one  close  be- 
hind you,  turn  and  go  back  far  enough  to  enable 
your  horse  to  get  well  upon  his  stride  before  "put- 
ting him."  Remember  a  careful,  cautious  rider  is 
always  more  welcome  in  the  field  than  a  wild,  in- 
competent one.  Should  your  mount  show  the 
least  inclination  to  rear,  when  refusing  to  jump, 
never  mount  him  again.  Of  all  vices,  this  is  the 
most  dangerous  to  women,  and  should  never  be 
tolerated. 

While  a  woman  should  not  confine  herself  to 
any  one  horse,  especially  while  a  novice,  she 
should  never  attempt  a  jump  she  is  not  certain 
her  mount  can  negotiate.  Many  an  ambitious, 
over-sanguine  young  woman  has  come  to  grief 
over  this,  as  have  others  in  going  at  a  jump  in  a 
half-hearted,  irresolute  manner. 


86  Horse  and  Hound. 

While  it  is  not  an  easy  thing  for  a  woman  to 
open  and  close  gates,  it  is  an  accomplishment  they 
should  possess,  and  can  only  be  acquired  by  con- 
stant practice,  of  both  horse  and  rider. 

Every  woman  who  rides  anywhere,  except 
possibly  in  a  riding-school,  should  have  a  thor- 
oughly practical  knowledge  of  bridling,  saddling, 
and  of  the  adjustment  of  bits  and  curbs,  and  yet 
it  is  astonishing  how  few  men  riders  possess  this 
knowledge.  Too  much  is  trusted  to  grooms.  They, 
like  all  human  beings,  are  not  infallible;  in  fact, 
they  are  frequently  careless  and  often  criminally 
negligent.  Always  bear  in  mind  that  a  run  across 
country  is  an  altogether  different  proposition 
from  a  ride  through  the  parks  or  city ;  in  fact,  at 
any  and  all  times,  it  is  a  serious  matter  as  far  as 
life  and  limb  are  concerned. 

A  woman's  hunting  side-saddle  should  be  per- 
fectly plain,  free  of  ornamentation,  and  with  flat 
seat,  no  third  pommel  on  the  right  side,  and 
should  be  cut  away  above  the  withers;  unless  the 
horse's  conformation  demands  it,  there  should  be 
but  little  padding,  the  saddle  fitting  close  to  the 
horse. 

The  stirrup  leathers  should  come  through 
opening  in  flap  and  not  from  between  the  seat  and 
flap  at  their  juncture. 

The  cantle  should  extend  about  two  inches 
beyond  plumb  line  of  spine,  be  flat  and  not  turned 
or  curved  up. 


Women  in  the  Field,  87 

It  is  a  mooted  question  whether  the  seat 
should  be  buck  or  pig  skin ;  the  former  undoubt- 
edly gives  greater  resistance  from  friction.  It  is 
largely  a  matter  of  choice. 

The  stirrup  should  be  a  high-grade  steel  safety 
stirrup,  opening  only  when  pressure  is  brought  to 
bear  upon  if  from  below.  The  plain  and  slipper 
stirrups  are  an  abomination  and  should  never  be 
used  under  any  circumstances. 

I  do  not  approve  of  a  spur  for  side-saddle 
riding,  and  it  is  extremely  questionable  whether 
a  woman  should  use  one,  even  when  riding 
astride.  If  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  a  cer- 
tain horse,  the  spur  should  have  the  safety  rowel. 

There  are  certain  minutiae  in  regard  to  dress 
that  no  man  can  know  of,  or  describe  as  well  as 
a  woman  herself ;  but  few  women,  however,  until 
they  have  hunted  several  seasons,  can  bring  them- 
selves to  the  point  of  sacrificing  looks  to  comfort, 
safety,  and  durability.  The  habit  should  be  sim- 
ple, well  made,  and  well  fitted,  of  the  very  best 
material,  and  always  made  with  safety  skirts. 
The  latter  are  more  or  less  awkward  when  one  is 
dismounted,  but  this  is  more  than  offset  by  the 
feeling  of  security  and  safety  it  gives  the  wearer 
in  the  saddle. 

For  winter  hunting,  the  whipcords  and  dark 
rough  materials  are  the  best,  though  the  khaki,  or 
heavy  duck  habits,  with  heavier  underclothing, 


88  Horse  and  Hound. 

can  be  used  the  greater  part  of  the  season,  and 
have  the  advantage  of  being  smarter  in  appear- 
ance, as  well  as  cheaper.  With  the  khaki,  or  duck 
habits,  tan  boots  or  putte  leggins  should  be  worn. 
The  soles  should  be  broad  and  quite  heavy,  with 
low,  flat  heels.  Gloves  should  be  large,  of  heavy 
material,  with  grip  seams  on  palm  and  fingers, 
and  strong  clasps,  well  up  on  the  wrists. 

A  soft,  felt  hat  or  a  derby  sufficiently  large  to 
set  well  and  firmly  on  the  head  should  be  secured 
by  an  elastic  band — hat  pins  should  never  be  worn 
in  the  field,  as  they  are  exceedingly  dangerous  in 
case  of  an  accident.  A  silk  hat  is  bad 
enough  on  a  man,  but  much  worse  upon  a 
woman.  I  hardly  think  it  necessary  to 
mention  lacing;  a  novice  in  the  saddle  never 
hunts  or  rides  across  country,  and  experience  in 
learning  to  ride  teaches  one  the  saddle  is  no  place 
for  tight  stays. 

I  can  not  close  the  question  of  dress,  how- 
ever, without  suggesting  that  no  matter  how 
warm  and  pleasant  the  day  may  appear  at  the 
outset,  provision  should  be  made  for  an  extra 
coat  for  use  during  a  loss  or  check  after  a  long 
run,  or  to  be  used  in  sudden  changes  of  weather. 
A  small,  sleeveless  chamois  jacket,  tightly  rolled 
and  tied  to  your  saddle,  later  on  may  loom  up  into 
the  proportions  of  a  life-preserver. 

Never,  never,  mount  for  a  run  without  know- 


Women  in  the  Field.  89 

ing  personally  that  your  girths,  saddle-cloths,  and 
bits  are  all  right.  Nothing  so  thoroughly  dis- 
gusts or  angers  a  man  as  to  be  called  upon  in 
the  field  especially  during  a  run,  to  "please 
tighten  my  girths."  Were  a  man  engaged  to  a 
woman  he  would  be  justified  in  breaking  the  en- 
gagement under  this  great  provocation. 

In  mounting,  hold  your  reins  in  right  hand, 
grasping  fixed  pommel  with  same,  turn  your  face 
and  body  slightly  towards  your  horse,  place  your 
left  hand  on  leaping  horn,  your  felt  foot  in  hand 
of  assistant  about  twelve  inches  from  the  ground, 
say  ''ready" — straightening  the  left  leg  at  the 
same  time — your  assistant  gives  you  a  lift  into  the 
saddle  sideways.  Place  the  right  knee  over  the 
fixed  pommel,  the  left  foot  in  the  stirrup,  lean 
back  that  he  may  pull  your  skirt  forward  and  ad- 
just the  straps;  then  lean  forward  with  weight 
on  stirrup  that  the  habit  may  be  pulled  from  be- 
neath you  and  straightened;  test  length  of  stir- 
rup ;  then  transfer  the  reins  to  left  hand  and  you 
are  ready  to  ride. 

To  dismount,  take  reins  in  right  hand,  re- 
lease the  habit  straps  with  left,  remove  right  knee 
from  the  fixed  pommel;  when  skirts  and  straps 
are  free  place  hands  on  pommels,  turn  sideways 
and  spring  clear  of  saddle  and  alight  on  balls  of 
both  feet. 

As  with  the  man,  the  balance  seat  is  the  only 


90  Horse  and  Hound. 

one  for  a  woman,  and  it  should  be  thoroughly 
understood,  both  in  theory  and  practice,  as  the 
most  important  and  necessary  thing  to  be  re- 
membered and  constantly  borne  in  mind. 

Sit  squarely  upon  the  saddle,  your  shoulders 
at  right  angles  with  horse's  spine,  your  own  spine 
on  a  line  with  horse's,  shoulders  level — not  one 
elevated  above  the  other.  Hollow  of  right  knee 
should  be  pressed  firmly  against  the  fixed  pom- 
mel with  leg  hanging  down  easily,  enabling  you 
to  grip  the  fixed  pommel  with  the  upper  part  of 
calf  of  leg  by  drawing  in  the  heel  of  right  foot 
whenever  necessary. 

The  stirrup  leather  should  be  adjusted  so  that 
the  loose  pommel,  or  leaping  horn,  will  touch  the 
left  leg  about  four  inches  above  the  knee-cap 
when  the  ball  of  the  foot  is  on  bar  of  stirrup,  the 
toe  pointing  up  with  the  heel  down.  A  shorter 
or  longer  stirrup  leather  is  to  be  avoided.  (See 
drawings,  correct  and  incorrect.) 

Sit  easily  and  comfortably  erect,  yet  avoid  ap- 
pearance of  rigidity  or  stiffness,  and  bear  in  mind 
that  a  graceful  and  proper  seat  can  only  be  ac- 
quired by  balance,  and  not  through  pressure  upon 
the  pommels.  The  hip  movement  required  in 
jumping  and  riding  by  balance  can  be  readily  un- 
derstood by  riding  a  child's  hobbyhorse. 

The  labor  of  riding  should  be  divided  between 
the  right  and  left  legs,  and  not  too  much  work  or 


Correct  Seat. 


90 


Incorrect  Seat. 


Women  in  the  Field,  91 

weight  placed  upon  the  left.  This,  however,  can 
be  accomplished  only  when  riding  by  balance. 

The  hands  should  be  held  hip  high,  wrists 
bent  so  knuckles  point  forward  with  thumbs  up, 
with  elbows  close  to  the  sides,  wrists  limber — 
never  stiff;  arms  and  hands  never  hanging  at 
your  side;  reins  to  be  held  same  as  in  instructions 
to  man;  crop  in  right  hand. 

Light  hands  are  a  blessing  enjoyed  by  few 
women,  though  as  a  rule  they  have  better  hands 
than  men.  It  is  lack  of  hands  that  produces  rest- 
iveness  and  unruliness  in  horses.  It  is  therefore 
requisite,  in  fact  indispensable,  to  a  woman  wish- 
ing to  ride  with  ease  and  safety,  to  have  good 
hands. 

No  matter  how  nervous  or  uncertain  a  woman 
may  feel  in  the  saddle,  she  should  never  allow  her 
horse  to  find  it  out.  You  may  admit  this  to  every 
one  in  the  field,  but  not  to  your  horse.  Horses 
are  quick  to  ''catch  on"  to  this,  and  quicker  to 
take  undue  advantage  of  it,  and  should  he  even 
suspect  you  of  these  emotions,  immediately  con- 
vince him  to  the  contrary,  even  if  you  have  to 
''swallow  your  heart"  to  do  so. 

The  woman  who  clucks  to  her  horse,  the  one 
who  goes  to  the  field  with  loose  girths,  and  the 
one  who  asks  questions  of  the  master  of  hunts- 
man, should  be  coupled  together  and  sentenced 
to  pink  teas  on  hunting  days  for  the  remainder  of 
their  natural  lives. 


92  Horse  and  Hound, 

Few  women  are  capable  of  really  controlling 
a  vicious  horse.  Though  they  frequently  believe 
their  immunity  from  accidents  is  due  to  their 
skill,  there  will  sooner  or  later  come  a  time  when 
they  will  have  their  eyes  opened  to  the  fact  that 
luck  has  played  equally  as  important  a  part  as 
their  skill  and  knowledge  of  horsemanship. 
Horses  that  can  not  be  controlled  by  physical 
strength  are  frequently  controlled  by  patience  and 
knowledge,  and  it  is  wonderful  the  soothing 
effect  a  woman's  voice  has  over  some  horses. 

Never,  under  any  circumstances,  release  your 
hold  upon  the  reins.  If  your  horse  bolts  and  you 
realize  you  have  not  the  strength  to  hold  him, 
draw  the  heel  of  the  right  foot  in  and  up,  thrust 
your  left  foot  well  into  the  stirrup  and  grip  his 
side  with  left  leg;  sit  close  to  the  saddle,  slightly 
incline  forward,  grasp  the  reins  with  both  hands 
and  steer  him  clear  of  all  obstructions,  and  let 
him  run.  At  the  outset  saw  the  bit  through  his 
mouth,  but  do  not  jerk  him  sideways  after  he  has 
attained  his  speed;  you  may  only  succeed  in 
throwing  him.  A  man  can  take  this  chance,  but 
not  a  woman.  When  his  first  burst  of  speed  and 
temper  is  over,  try  the  effect  of  your  voice  with 
a  steady  pull  of  the  bits  through  his  mouth. 
Should  he  approach  any  hills  or  heavy  plowed 
ground,  pump  him  by  giving  him  his  head,  and 
follow  up  with  the  voice  and  steady  pulling  as 
before.    If  in  his  flight  he  heads  for  house,  fence, 


Correct  Seat  and  Hands. 


92 


Incorrect  Seat  and  Hands. 


Women  in  the  Field.  93 

or  other  obstructions  he  will  not  attempt  to  jump. 
Commence  in  time  turning  him  to  the  right,  so  in 
case  he  gets  you  out  of  the  saddle,  you  will  go 
off  to  the  left  instead  of  the  right.  Your  safety 
stirrup  (without  which  no  lady  should  ever  get 
into  the  saddle)  will  release  your  foot,  and  your 
skirts  come  clear.  Retain  your  grasp  of  the  reins 
to  the  last,  even  when  you  have  left  the  saddle; 
they  will  assist  in  letting  you  down  easy. 

However,  the  main  thing  is  not  to  let  him  get 
the  start  on  you.  If  you  suspect  him  of  bolting, 
watch  his  ears  closely;  they  are  good  indicators, 
and  will  generally  give  warning  of  his  intention. 
Pull  him  up  and  face  him  the  other  way  until  his 
''spell"  is  over;  then  hold  him  down  to  a  mod- 
erate pace. 

The  question  of  the  cross-saddle  for  women 
is  now  receiving  much  attention,  many  converts 
resulting.  It  is,  however,  but  the  revival  of  an 
ancient  custom  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It 
goes  to  prove  there  is  "nothing  new  under  the 
sun." 

Personally,  I  am  a  convert  to  the  advisability 
of  women  riding  astride,  especially  in  the  hunt- 
ing field.  I  believe  it  to  be  much  safer,  easier, 
and  undoubtedly  healthier,  and  while  some  think 
it  ungraceful  and  undignified,  I  can  not  agree 
with  them.  Of  course,  a  short-limbed,  fleshy 
woman  mounted  on  a  broad-back  horse  would 
doubtless  appear  to  disadvantage,  but  I  am  not 


94  Horse  and  Hound, 

certain  she  would  not  look  equally  as  bad  with 
the  new  style,  short,  close-fitting  skirts  on  a  side- 
saddle, especially  from  a  rear  view-point. 

As  to  the  question  of  hygiene,  a  member  of 
my  family  consulted  the  eminent  physician,  Dr. 
Lewis  Sayre,  of  New  York,  before  deciding  the 
question  for  her  daughter,  and  he  unhesitatingly 
indorsed  the  cross-saddle  as  much  the  healthier 
of  the  two,  and  in  consequence  her  daughter 
adopted  it,  has  never  had  cause  to  regret  it,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  best  horsewomen  in  Ken- 
tucky to-day.  While  she  was  the  only  cross- 
saddle  rider  in  Kentucky  for  several  years,  am 
pleased  to  be  able  to  state  at  a  recent  meet  seven- 
teen of  the  twenty-one  ladies  in  the  field  rode  the 
cross-saddle. 

With  the  new  style  divided  skirt  it  is  scarcely 
noticeable,  and  unless  one's  attention  were  called 
to  it,  few  would  detect  the  difference  in  a  party  of 
say  six,  half  riding  side  and  half  cross  saddles. 

You  men  who  prate  about  the  impropriety  and 
immodesty  of  the  style,  try  riding  on  a  side-sad- 
dle for  a  few  hours,  or  better  still,  do  as  I  have 
done,  try  jumping  a  fence  on  one,  and  you  will 
soon  become  a  convert  to  the  new  style. 

Princess  Victoria,  granddaughter  of  King 
Edward,  rides  astride.  Royal  patronage  in  Eng- 
land implies  much,  and  with  the  stamp  of  their 
approval  it  will  soon  become  popular  there.     Its 


Women  in  the  Field.  95 

popularity,    unfortunately,    will    not    reach    this 
country  until  several  seasons  later. 

Aside  from  its  greater  comfort  to  rider  and 
horse,  the  question  of  safety  should  determine  a 
woman's  using  the  cross-saddle  in  the  hunting 
field.  To-day  horses  have  to  be  specially  broken 
and  trained  for  women  in  the  field;  when  the 
cross-saddle  comes  into  universal  use,  which  I 
hope  to  live  long  enough  to  see,  a  woman  can 
ride,  handle,  and  control  any  horse  a  man  can 
ride. 


SCENT. 

I  APPROACH  the  subject  of  scent  with  dread 
and  apprehension,  for  of  all  the  incomprehensible, 
annoying,  inconsistent,  exasperating,  unfathom- 
able things  one  encounters  in  the  realm  of  sport, 
the  nature  and  theory  of  scent  is  entitled  to  take 
precedence.  The  more  one  studies  and  investi- 
gates it,  the  less  they  seem  to  know  of  it.  It  is 
evidently  too  complex  a  problem  for  eminent 
scientists  of  the  world  to  effectually  solve.  They 
seem  to  have  left  it  to  the  practical,  every-day 
man  with  little  or  no  pretensions  to  scientific  at- 
tainments to  solve.  I  have  found  it  impossible 
to  learn  anything  from  a  scientific  or  medical 
standpoint,  having  been  unable  to  find  a  single 
treatise  or  work  touching  upon  it  in  the  slightest 
degree.  My  observations,  therefore,  are  purely 
practical,  which,  doubtless,  in  the  long  run,  are 
better  than  theoretical  ones.  As  every  one  who 
has  hunted  hounds  has  formulated  in  their  own 
minds  theories  of  scent,  I  have  but  little  hopes  of 
changing  the  minds  of  any  such,  and  what  I  may 
say  is  solely  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have 
given  the  subject  but  little  thought. 

My  experiments  have  not  been  wholly  con- 
96 


%# 

^^m.9^ 


WM.  WADE. 


Pennsylvania. 


96 


Scent.  97 

fined  to  chasing  the  fox,  for  a  number  of  years 
spent  in  the  wilds  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  hunt- 
ing bear,  deer,  wolves,  and  mountain  lions  with 
hounds  gave  me  abundant  opportunity  to  work 
out  and  familiarize  myself  with  the  many  puz- 
zling features  of  scent  problems. 

I  have  imported,  owned,  and  bred  blood- 
hounds for  probably  fifteen  years,  and  have  at 
present  at  least  a  score  of  these  magnificent  trail- 
ers, and  have,  in  connection  with  them,  as  well 
as  with  foxhounds,  made  many  and  varied  expe- 
riments in  scent  and  trailing,  and  yet  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  have  much  yet  to  learn,  knowing  only 
the  rudiments  of  the  science,  never  having  been 
able  to  discover  to  my  ow^n  satisfaction  the  laws 
upon  which  scent  is  constructed. 

Time  and  again  have  I  worked  out  theories 
of  scent  to  my  own  satisfaction,  only  to  have 
them  completely  upset  the  very  first  time  I  at- 
tempted to  apply  them  in  practice,  convincing  me 
among  other  things  that  "scent  is  as  variable  as 
the  weather."  I  therefore  give  my  theory  and 
opinion  of  scent  for  what  they  are  worth,  and 
leave  the  reader  to  form  his  own  conclusions. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  people  bereft  of 
one  or  more  of  the  senses  appear  to  have  the 
others  intensified.  On  this  subject,  however,  my 
very  good  friend,  Mr.  William  Wade,  president 
of  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association,  says: 
"There  is  no  higher  development  of  the  sense  of 


98  Horse  and  Hound. 

smell  in  the  deaf-blind,  or  in  dogs  distinguished 
for  'nose,'  but  that  the  ability  of  drawing  fine  dis- 
tinctions is  higher,  or  what  is  probably  the  same 
thing,   the  power  of  concentration   is  greater." 
Mr.  Wade  has  probably  devoted  more  time  and 
research  to  the  problem  of  scent  than  any  other 
man  in  this  country,  and  says :  "Mankind  has  as 
high  an  ability  for  recognition  of  various  scents 
as  any  hound  ever  had,  or  ever  will  have,  as  the 
almost  universal  exhibition  of  this  in  those  who 
are  both  deaf  and  blind  demonstrates  it.     Katie 
McGirr,  a  young  woman  of  a  class  of  twenty-four 
blind  mutes,  knows  when  a  friend  comes  any- 
where near  her,  and  I  have  been  amused  by  her 
restlessness  when  I  come  near  and  her  final  in- 
quiring if  I  am  not  near  by.     Once  I  asked  her 
who  was  in  the  room  besides  myself,  and  she  im- 
mediately named  the  two  parties,  each  of  whom 
was  at  least  ten  feet  distant.     Linnie  Haguewood 
went  to  the  bath,  taking  her  own  towels  with  her; 
but  when  they  were  taken  away  by  mistake,  and 
she  got  the  towels  that  were  there  before  she 
came,  she  insisted  that  her  towels  be  brought  back 
to  her   (all  the  towels  were  identical).     James 
Mitchell,  the  first  deaf  and  blind  person  whose 
case   was   investigated   by   competent   observers, 
knew  all  his  friends  by  their  smell,  and  even  made 
his  likes  and  dislikes  on  the  basis  of  the  smell  of 
individuals." 

I  have  recently  read  an  article  by  a  French- 


Scent.  99 

man  on  the  subject  of  scent,  in  which  he  advances 
the  theory  that  scent  is  but  a  form  of  motion. 
While  I  am  not  a  convert  to  this  theory  by  any 
means,  I  must  admit  he  presented  his  theory  in  a 
plausible  and  most  convincing  manner  to  the  lay- 
man. 

The  fox  unquestionably  has  two  kinds  of 
scent,  the  ''pad"  scent,  a  scent  that  emanates  from 
the  ''pad,"  or  foot,  of  the  fox,  and  which  is  com- 
municated by  contact  with  the  ground,  and  a 
body  scent,  which  emanates  from  the  body  and 
the  scent  glands  at  the  root  of  the  tail.  The 
power  and  strength  of  the  pad  scent  depends,  of 
course,  more  upon  the  scent-retaining  qualities 
of  the  ground,  and  the  body  scent  more  upon  the 
atmospheric  and  climatic  conditions. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  sense  of  smell 
leaves  a  stronger  impression  upon  the  brain  than 
the  other  senses,  and  the  scent  of  a  fox  seems  to 
thrill  the  very  nerves  of  a  hound,  they  showing  a 
fondness  for  the  scent  of  a  fox  not  evinced  in 
running  any  other  animal. 

The  strong  smell  of  a  fox,  while  most  dis- 
agreeable to  us,  is  evidently  as  agreeable  to  a 
hound's  delicate  organs  as  are  the  spices  of  Araby 
to  man. 

There  is  no  questioning  the  fact  that  freezing 
obliterates  scent  for  the  time  being,  and  thaw- 
ing will  renew  it.  This  is  fully  and  practically 
illustrated  by  the  fact  that  hounds  have  been  laid 


lOO  Horse  a?td  Hound. 

in  the  early  morning  upon  tracks  of  deer  made  in 
soft  ground  the  night  previous  and  afterwards 
freezing,  and  have  utterly  refused  to  "own  the 
line,"  but  later  on  in  the  day  when  the  ground 
was  thawed  out  by  the  sun,  they  had  no  trouble 
in  holding  the  same  line  at  top  speed. 

I  have  often  seen  hounds  run  equally  well  on 
all  kinds  of  ground,  whether  grass,  stubble, 
plowed  land,  road;  whether  wet  or  dry.  This, 
of  course,  is  body  scent,  there  being  but  little 
wind  the  effluvia  from  the  fox's  body  is  not  dissi- 
pated, and  the  hounds  could  fairly  revel  in  it  and 
carry  it  breast  high;  again,  I  have,  on  '*a  cloudy 
day  with  a  light  southerly  wind"  and  a  fairly 
damp  ground,  seen  hounds  that  should  "burn  up" 
a  line,  potter  along  with  frequent  checks  and 
losses  hardly  able  to  speak  it. 

Among  the  many  peculiarities  of  scent  may 
be  mentioned  the  following.  While  atmospheric 
conditions  undoubtedly  have  more  to  do  with  it 
than  any  other  one  thing,  it  is  not  controlled 
wholly  by  it. 

A  fox  in  a  quiet  state  gives  but  moderate 
scent;  when  in  active  motion  and  heated  up,  the 
exhalations,  especially  from  the  body  and  the 
scent  glands,  permeate  the  air,  float  upon  it,  and 
can  be  detected  at  quite  a  distance.  In  proof  of 
this  I  have  placed  a  bagged  fox  near  the  kennels 
to  test  noses  of  young  hounds,  and  it  is  remark- 
able how  close  it  can  be  placed  without  even  the 


J.   M.  HENRY. 
Virginia. 


100 


Scent,  loi 

older  hounds  noticing  it.  The  same  hounds 
would  "cry"  a  running  fox  at  three  times  the  dis- 
tance. 1  have  personally,  upon  several  occasions, 
winded  a  hunted  fox  several  feet  from  the  line, 
and  at  night  it  is  easy  for  a  hunter  to  tell  by  the 
scent  if  a  running  fox  has  passed  a  given  point, 
especially  if  in  a  hollow. 

A  flagging  or  worn-out  fox  at  the  end  of  a 
run  is  supposed  not  to  give  as  strong  a  scent  as 
when  hard  pushed  in  the  midst  of  a  run,  and  a 
sleeping  fox,  or  one  lying  quietly,  will  give  but 
comparatively  little  scent. 

A  high  wind  is  particularly  unfavorable  and 
destructive  of  scent.  Dry  ground,  leaves,  and 
grass  retain  but  little  scent.  A  hot  sun  is  also 
detrimental  to  scent. 

It  has  always  been  to  me  one  of  the  mysteries 
of  scent  why  freshly  plowed  ground  should  prove 
such  a  poor  scent  retainer,  even  when  moist.  I 
can  only  account  for  it  upon  the  basis  that  fresh 
earth  is  a  good  disinfectant  and  kills  scent,  as  is 
evidenced  by  the  principle  of  the  old-fashioned 
earth  closet,  though  in  plowed  fields  we  have  no 
stubble  or  grass  to  catch  and  retain  the  effluvia 
of  the  body  scent,  or  trees  and  brush  to  shield  the 
line  from  wind  and  sun — both  scent  destroyers. 
I  am  more  inclined  to  believe  in  these  than  in  the 
theory  of  some  who  claim  that  the  "pad"  of  the 
fox  gets  coated  with  the  soft  earth  in  crossing 
freshly  plowed  fields,  and  thus  prevents  the  pad 


I02  Horse  and  Hound. 

scent  from  coming  in  contact  with  the  ground, 
but  this  does  not  account  for  the  absence  of  body 
scent. 

The  faster  and  harder  a  fox  is  pushed  the 
more  body  scent  will  he  give  off,  and  any  expe- 
rienced hunter  will  tell  you  that  he  has  frequently 
seen  hounds  under  such  circumstances  running 
with  nose  breast  high  many  feet  away  from  the 
line. 

I  have  seen  hounds  enter  a  stream  of  swiftly 
running  water  and  come  out  on  the  opposite 
shore  exactly  where  the  fox  had  left  the  water, 
showing  conclusively  that  they  were  guided  solely 
by  body  scent. 

Few  fox-hunters  will  believe  that  water  re- 
tains scent,  and  I  for  years  thought  so  myself ;  in 
fact,  it  was  only  recently,  while  on  a  deer  hunt- 
ing trip  in  the  interior  of  Cuba,  that  I  found  the 
contrary  to  be  true.  The  deer  would  invariably 
take  to  the  lagoons  and  have  to  pass  through  low 
lands  covered  to  a  depth  of  several  inches  with 
clear,  clean  water;  no  bushes  or  vegetation  were 
near  enough  to  retain  particles  of  scent,  and 
enough  wind  was  blowing  to  carry  away  any 
body  scent  before  the  hounds  reached  these 
points,  but  they  never  faltered,  but  owned  the 
line  as  correctly  as  if  on  the  Blue  Grass  fields  of 
their  native  heath.  I  am  supported  in  this  state- 
ment that  water  will  hold  scent  by  Mr.  Isaac  Bell, 
M.  F.  H.,  Countv  Galwav  Hounds,  Ireland;  and 


Scent.  103 

Mr.  W.  S.  Walker,  of  Kentucky.  The  latter  I 
consider  an  authority  upon  any  subject  connected 
with  fox-hunting. 

The  fact  that  foxes  have  individual  odors  is 
well  known  to  all  hunters;  also  the  fact  that  an 
old  hound  will  not  leave  the  line  of  a  fox  he  is 
running  for  another  crossing  the  same  that  may 
be  both  fresher  and  stronger,  but  this  does  not 
apply  to  young  hounds. 

Who  is  there  of  us  who  has  had  experience 
in  the  West  that  can  not  recall  the  confidence  and 
affection  we  had  in  our  favorite  hunting  horse, 
who,  time  and  again,  saved  us  a  night  out  on  the 
plains,  "lying  upon  our  backs  and  covered  with 
our  bellies,"  by  displaying  his  homing  ability  and 
going  as  straight  to  camp  as  the  needle  to  the 
pole;  that,  too,  when  it  was  so  dark  one  could 
hardly  see  enough  to  think? 

This  ability  of  horses  to  follow  a  trail,  and 
not  necessarily  a  back  trail,  is  well  known,  espe- 
cially to  any  one  who  has  spent  much  time  on  the 
illimitable  plains  of  the  West.  This  trailing  in- 
stinct in  the  horse  is  entirely  different  from  the 
•'homing"  instinct  possessed  in  a  greater  or  lesser 
degree  by  all  horses,  and  from  which  upon  sev- 
eral occasions  I  have  been  a  sufferer.  In  horse 
''homing"  there  are  many  aids  other  than  the 
power  of  scent,  but  in  trailing  other  horses  across 
rough  and  rugged  country  they  have  scent  alone 
to  guide  them. 


I04  Horse  and  Hound. 

I  recall  an  instance  that  happened  to  me  in 
the  early  seventies.  Traveling  north  from  Fort 
Laramie,  in  Wyoming,  with  a  hunting  party,  one 
of  my  pack  horses,  a  "cayuse,"  pulled  his  picket 
at  night  and  could  not  be  found  next  morning. 
We  proceeded  without  him.  At  the  end  of  the 
third  day's  ride,  as  we  were  about  to  pitch  camp, 
up  galloped  the  truant.  It  developed  that  he  was 
found  snubbed  to  a  tree  in  a  chapparel  not  far 
from  our  camp  site.  The  day  after  our  departure, 
upon  being  released  by  a  party  of  hunters,  he 
took  our  trail,  twenty-four  hours  old,  and  fol- 
lowed it  as  faithfully  as  a  hound  for  over  a  hun- 
dred miles  with  absolutely  nothing  to  assist  him 
but  his  unerring  power  of  scent,  as  there  were  no 
roads,  not  even  a  bridle  path  or  tepee  trail,  and 
probably  no  horse  other  than  a  Sioux  pony  had, 
at  that  time,  ever  been  over  this  country. 


W.  S.  WALKER. 

Ksntucky. 


104 


THE  FOX. 

The  fox  is  well  esteemed  the  most  sagacious 
and  crafty  of  all  animals.  His  subtlety  and  dis- 
tinguished characteristics  have  won  him  a  con- 
spicuous place  in  the  folk-lore  and  myths  of  all 
nations  where  he  has  been  known.  In  this  coun- 
try, especially  in  the  South,  his  praises  are  sung 
both  in  song  and  story.  In  Japan  the  natives  be- 
lieve him  to  be  animated  by  the  devil  himself, 
and  their  historical  and  religious  writings  are  full 
of  strange  and  weird  accounts  respecting  him. 
In  other  lands  poets  have  commemorated  his 
deeds  in  romance  and  legend. 

He  at  all  times  and  under  all  conditions  leads 
a  most  strenuous  life,  and  one  can  not  help  but 
admire  him  for  his  sagacity,  adroitness,  and 
craftiness.  In  fact,  when  I  see  one  upon  his  na- 
tive heath,  I  always  feel  like  uncovering  to  him, 

The  fox  is  proverbial  for  his  cunning  and  in- 
genuity in  obtaining  food  and  then  outwitting 
and  eluding  his  pursuers. 

His  appearance  is  truly  indicative  of  his  char- 
acter, and  he  has  long  been  the  synonym  of  cun- 
ning and  slyness.  One  of  his  most  characteristic 
traits  is  the  readiness  with  which  he  acquaints 
105 


io6  Horse  and  Hound. 

himself  with  anything  of  a  conspicuous  nature 
that  threatens  violence  to  him. 

If  given  half  a  chance  for  existence  in  a  com- 
munity, his  ability  to  circumvent  his  would-be 
destroyers,  combined  with  his  prolificness,  will  al- 
ways maintain  him,  for  there  is  no  racial  suicide 
in  the  fox  family.  His  whole  life  is  one  sequence 
of  crime  and  mischievous  shedding  and  wasting 
of  blood,  and  every  man's  hand  is  against  him, 
and  it  is  only  the  instinctive  desire  for  self-pres- 
ervation possessed  in  common  by  all  animals 
that  enables  him  to  hold  his  own  in  the  struggle 
for  existence. 

There  are  about  twenty  species  of  the  fox,  dis- 
tributed in  every  country  except  Australia  and 
South  America.  While  there  are  about  half  of 
this  number  found  in  America,  among  whom  are 
the  arctic,  black,  and  silver  fox,  I  shall  confine 
myself  to  the  wily  red  and  his  cowardly  cousin, 
the  gray. 

The  red  fox  was  unknown  in  America  pre- 
vious to  [760,  at  which  time  a  number  of  them 
were  imported  from  England  and  liberated  on 
Long  Island.  They  made  their  way  to  the  main- 
land, and  to-day  are  found  from  North  Carolina 
and  Tennessee  to  the  whole  notheastern  part  of 
the  United  States,  as  far  west  as  Montana,  and  as 
far  north  as  Alaska. 

The  red  fox  is  forty  inches  in  length  and  will 
average   about   thirteen    or    fourteen    inches    in 


The  Fox.  107 

height.  He  is  rusty  red  in  color,  with  a  grayish 
tinge  on  rump,  belly,  and  flank,  while  the  hairs 
along  the  spine  and  tail  are  black,  the  end  of  the 
tail  being  lighter  in  color  and  frequently,  espe- 
cially in  males,  tipped  with  white.  Legs  are 
black,  frequently  white  on  the  inside;  feet  black, 
breast  white,  and  ears  tipped  with  black. 

The  red  has  greater  shrewdness,  cunning,  and 
courage  than  the  gray,  and  far  surpasses  him  in 
speed  and  endurance.  He  is  a  sociable  sort  of  a 
chap,  seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  the  wilds  and  not 
infrequently  will  make  raids  upon  the  poultry 
yards  of  the  residents  of  a  city,  and  these  expe- 
ditions are  seldom  fruitless. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  describe  the  extraor- 
dinary powers  of  this  wonderful  little  animal. 
He  is  very  deceptive  in  appearance,  while  seem- 
ingly fragile  and  delicate,  no  animal  has  more 
muscular  development  in  proportion  to  its  size. 

The  gray  fox  is  about  thirty-eight  inches  long, 
gray  in  color,  though  darker  along  the  back,  and 
sometimes  almost  black  along  the  spine.  The 
sides  of  the  neck,  ears,  and  down  the  breast  a 
rusty,  dirty  red;  tips  of  ears  black;  feet  and  parts 
of  legs  and  under  surface  of  body,  rusty  red.  Por- 
tion of  the  throat,  breast,  and  inner  side  of  the 
legs,  white.  Coarser  hairs  in  tail  than  the  red 
fox,  but  not  soft  under  coat. 

The  gray  lives  in  hollow  trees  and  stumps, 
and  is  naturally  a  better  climber  than  the  red. 


io8  Horse  and  Hound, 

It  is  remarkable  the  ability  they  can  show  in  tree 
climbing  when  closely  pressed  by  a  pack  of 
hounds. 

They  prefer  a  warm  climate  and  are  generally 
found  in  all  the  Southern  States.  The  red  fox, 
when  he  made  his  advent  into  the  South  in  the 
early  fifties  ran  out  the  gray,  but  of  late  years 
the  latter  has  returned  and  both  can  be  found, 
though  seldom  ''using"  the  same  section. 

The  gray  has  a  thin,  weak  bark  with  much 
less  volume  that  the  red,  the  male  of  the  latter, 
especially  in  the  spring,  having  a  full,  wild  bark, 
not  unlike  the  coyote — though  not  so  loud  and 
deep. 

The  gray  never  depends  upon  his  legs  to  save 
his  brush  by  eluding  his  pursuers,  but  doubles 
back  and  forth,  circles,  and  twists,  runs  fences, 
logs,  dodges  and  hides  until  the  hounds  are  al- 
most upon  him.  These  tactics  avail  him  not,  and 
with  good  conditions  a  pack  of  hounds  should 
tree,  hole,   or  ''break  him"   in  twenty  minutes. 

The  red,  though  a  mile  away  when  he  first 
hears  the  "grand  chorus,"  will  at  once  check  his 
baggage  and  start  for  foreign  parts,  and  from 
the  speed  \vith  which  he  takes  his  departure  one 
would  suppose  his  destination  to  be  one  of  the 
poles,  and  he  had  but  a  few  minutes  in  which  to 
reach  it.  It  is  not  until  he  finds  them  hanging  on 
like  grim  death  and  that  he  has  not  distanced 
them,  that  he  brings  his  cunning  and  ingenuity 


GEO.  J.  GARRETT. 
Georgia. 


108 


The  Fox,  109 

into  play — then  he  can  give  his  cousin  gray  many 
points  in  the  game. 

The  kit  fox's  range  is  restricted  to  Colorado, 
Wyoming,  and  the  Western  Plains,  and  is  much 
too  small  to  afford  any  sport  in  the  chase,  being 
only  twenty-five  inches  in  laigth.  He  is  a  yel- 
low gray,  darker  on  the  back,  especially  along  the 
line  of  the  spine;  the  legs  and  under  parts  of  the 
body  are  lighter  in  color;  he  has  a  full,  bushy 
tail  with  white  tip  and  a  black  spot  on  each  side 
of  the  muzzle. 

Foxes  arrive  at  maturity  at  eighteen  months, 
live  to  be  ten  or  twelve  years  old,  and  are  gen- 
erally free  from  fatal  epidemics,  though  subject 
to  a  mild  form  of  distemper  and  a  violent,  malig- 
nant form  of  mange.  A  fox  in  its  naturally  wild 
state  seldom,  if  ever,  contracts  mange  except  from 
a  captive  fox  that  has  been  liberated,  and  one 
such  fox  will  quickly  infect  all  the  foxes  in  a 
neighborhood. 

In  captivity  they  have  an  unhealthy  and  un- 
happy look,  especially  the  red  fox,  which  never 
becomes  tamed,  being  incapable  of  thorough  do- 
mestication. It  is  sometimes  playful  when  raised 
in  captivity,  but,  like  other  savage  animals,  will 
bite  upon  the  least  offense,  and  always  retains  his 
suspicious  disposition,  languishing  when  deprived 
of  his  liberty.  After  being  full  grown,  they 
seem  to  lack  all  sentiments  resembling  affection 
as  illustrated  in  the  dog:  are  extremely  nervous, 


no  Horse  and  Hound. 

and  are  always  easily  frightened — if  they  once 
exhibit  fear  of  an  object  or  sound  they  never 
seem  able  to  overcome  it. 

They  generally  mate  in  the  months  of  Janu- 
ary or  February,  breeding  once  a  year,  and  have 
from  four  to  eight  whelps  at  a  litter.  When  the 
maternal  solicitude  of  the  vixen  is  aroused  noth- 
ing excels  her  courage  in  defending  her  young, 
and  she  seldom  dies  unavenged  upon  her  enemies. 

The  pupil  of  the  eye  is  not  circular  like  that 
of  the  dog,  but  oblique,  indicating  nocturnal  ex- 
cellence but  imperfect  eyesight  in  the  daytime. 

The  individual  odor  of  the  fox  is  treated  of 
under  the  heading  of  scent. 

He  is  endowed  with  great  speed,  unequaled 
agility,  and  most  extraordinary  powers  of  en- 
durance. His  favorite  haunts  are,  from  our 
standpoint,  but  miserable  selections,  but  there  is 
generally  method  in  his  madness  in  providing 
himself  with  a  country  where  he  can  retire  from 
pressing  dangers,  either  real  or  imaginary.  Their 
sense  of  smell  and  hearing  is  aggravatingly  acute, 
though  in  the  daytime  their  eyesight  is  not  what 
one  would  expect. 

The  English  claim  greater  endurance,  more 
speed,  and  cunning  for  the  English  fox.  Audu- 
bon, than  whom  there  is  no  greater  authority, 
says  the  red  fox  of  America  is  the  superior  of 
his  English  cousin  is  every  way.  From  what  I 
know  of  the  relative  performances  of   English 


The  Fox.  Ill 

hounds  with  each,  I  am  prqDared  to  adopt  his 
views  on  the  subject  in  preference  to  theirs,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  the  fact  that  but  comparatively 
few  Englishmen  have  ever  hunted  the  American 
fox  upon  his  native  heath. 

While  the  strategy  and  finesse  constantly  ex- 
hibited by  the  fox  hold  our  admiration  and 
prompt  us  to  credit  him  with  a  high  order  of  rea- 
soning and  intelligence,  I  have  always  regarded 
"with  a  grain  of  salt"  the  story  of  the  fox 
troubled  with  fleas,  which  slowly  waded  out  into 
the  water,  gradually  immersing  all  parts  of  his 
body  until  nothing  but  the  tip  of  his  tail  remained 
above,  to  which  point  all  the  fleas  had  assembled, 
and  then  with  a  shake  of  his  tail  consigned  them 
to  a  watery  grave.  Also  the  story  of  the  fox 
that  stole  the  hunter's  decoy  duck  and  used  it  in 
luring  wild  ducks  to  his  meshes,  I  have  always 
coupled  with  the  other.  They  should  justly  be  in 
a  class  to  themselves. 

I  have  known  hunters  to  credit  foxes  with 
avoiding  corn  fields  and  plowed  ground  on  ac- 
count of  the  accumulated  weight  of  mud  on  their 
drooping  tails,  and  most  any  Southern  darky  who 
hunts  will  tell  you,  with  a  very  straight  face,  that 
when  a  fox's  tail  gets  so  weighted  he  will  at  once 
swim  a  creek  or  river  to  wash  it  out,  and  that  he 
will  invariably  swim  a  river  full  of  alligators, 
knowing  the  fondness  of  the  alligator  for  a  hound 
will  prevent  the  latter  from  following  him. 
8 


112  Horse  and  Hound. 

There  are  many  conflicting  opinions  on  the 
subject  of  the  chase.  Some  would  have  us  be- 
Heve  a  hunted  fox  undergoes  all  the  agonies  of 
a  schoolgirl  in  a  room  with  a  mouse.  Many  a 
hunter  will  tell  you  honestly  and  candidly  that 
he  believes  a  fox  enjoys  the  chase  as  much  as  the 
hounds.  I  have  seen  them  leisurely  galloping 
along  after  having  thrown  the  hounds  off  their 
trail  by  a  master  stroke  of  strategy,  and  they 
really  seemed  to  be  having  their  share  of  the  fun. 
I  knew  of  a  litter  of  cubs  that  undoubtedly  rev- 
eled in  a  chase.  I  would  take  several  couples 
of  young  hounds  after  dark  where  the  cubs 
''used,"  and  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  would  have 
a  fast  run — the  cubs  circling  in  the  neighborhood 
of  their  den  and  taking  to  earth  upon  finding  the 
hounds  gaining  upon  them.  Calling  the  hounds 
off,  in  a  half  hour  they  would  again  be  abroad 
and  a  repetition  of  the  chase  would  occur,  this 
being  repeated  several  times  in  a  single  night. 
One  night,  desiring  a  longer  chase,  I  sat  down  in 
front  of  the  den  \\\\\\  the  intention  of  preventing 
the  cub  returning  to  the  den.  I  did  not  succeed, 
for  the  cub  literally  jumped  into  my  lap  and  then 
into  the  den. 


J.  W.  CRANK. 
Missouri. 


112 


TRICKS  AND  HABITS  OF 
THE  FOX. 

His  Royal  Redness  is  acknowledged  to  be  the 
fleetest  and  most  wai-y  game  chased,  and  is  the 
embodiment  of  cunning  and  sly  audacity. 

In  spite  of  the  prating  of  the  mistaken  phi- 
lanthropists v])i-:)  "  ■  :^t  tlie  chase,  I  firmly 
believe,  in  a  measure,  they  learn  to  enjoy  it.  He 
is  not  shot  and  wounded  to  drag  himself  off  and 
die  like  many  wild  animals,  but  is  given  a  fair 
sportsman's  chance  for  his  life.  If  he  escapes,  he 
quickly  recovers  from  his  bodily  fatigue;  if 
caught,  his  end  is  an  instantaneous  and  honorable 
one  and  is  as  gallant  as  the  race  for  life  he  has 
just  put  up. 

A  hunting  enthusiast  who  has  spent  years  of 
his  life  in  hunting,  and  thinks  he  has  a  practical, 
intimate  knowledge  of  their  habits,  is  constantly 
being  surprised  at  some  new  trick  of  boldness 
and  audacity  upon  their  part,  and  never  tires  of 
relating  them  to  brother  sportsmen.  Were  I  to 
attempt  to  recount  tlic  many  tricks,  wiles,  and 
habits  he  possesses,  my  book  would  contain  noth- 
ing else.  I  shall  mention  but  a  few,  those  I  think 
will  be  of  assistance  to  would-be  hunters. 

A  dry  bed  with  a  southern  exposure,  shel- 
tered from  the  wind,  is  a  great  luxury  to  a  fox 
"3 


114  Horse  and  Hound. 

taking  a  "siesta,"  and  is  much  sought  after,  espe- 
cially in  the  early  morning  hours.  Having  lo- 
cated or  suspected  his  napping  place,  it  should 
be  approached  up  wind. 

At  the  first  sound  of  the  hound's  cry,  softened 
by  distance  and  borne  on  the  wind,  the  fox,  if  he 
be  resting  or  sleeping,  will  jump  to  his  feet,  and 
if  in  thick  brush  or  cover,  walk  to  a  clearing.  If 
the  hounds  are  at  quite  a  distance  he  will  mount 
a  stump  or  fence  and  remain  listening  until  he 
satisfies  himself  the  sound  is  approaching;  this 
seldom  takes  but  little  time,  as  their  sense  of  hear- 
ing is  abnormally  acute.  If  it  is  a  dog  fox,  and 
especially  one  that  has  heard  the  grand  chorus 
of  a  clamorous  pack  at  his  heels  before,  he  waits 
not  upon  the  order  of  his  going,  but  takes  a  bee 
line  for  another  section  of  country.  If  it  is  a 
vixen,  especially  one  with  cubs,  her  instinct 
tempts  her  to  remain  close  by,  and  she  will  begin 
her  run  by  making  large  circles,  attempting  to  get 
in  the  rear  of  the  hounds. 

After  a  few  regularly  executed  preliminary 
maneuvers,  and  the  fox  has  settled  down  to  the 
business  in  hand,  an  experienced  hunter  can  tell 
whether  the  quarry  is  a  red  or  gray,  male  or  fe- 
male (if  the  latter,  whether  in  whelp  or  not),  old 
or  young,  novice  or  old-timer,  stiff-neck  or  loafer, 
and  approximately  what  his  tactics  will  be. 

The  natural  instinct  and  first  inclination  of  the 
red  fox  (though  not  so  with  the  gray)  is  to  out- 


Tricks  and  Habits  of  the  Fox.       1 1 5 

distance  his  pursuers  by  speed.  If  he  finds  he  is 
not  doing  this  and  the  hounds  are  holding  their 
own,  then  he  resorts  to  his  many  tricks  and  cun- 
ning. 

His  favorite  practice  is  to  make  for  a  herd  of 
cattle,  band  of  horses,  or  flock  of  sheep,  and  will 
boldly  seek  a  farm  or  stable  yard  in  search  of 
them. 

Another  favorite  ''dodge''  is  roadiiig.  I  have 
known  them  to  run  a  road  for  miles,  leaving  it  at 
approach  of  travelers  and  immediately  returning 
after  passing  them.  They  instinctively  appre- 
ciate the  difficulty  of  hounds  trailing  them  in  the 
dust.  They  will  also  run  a  railroad,  and  their 
fondness  for  and  ability  to  run  any  kind  of  fence 
is  too  well  known  to  need  mention. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  fox  when  hard 
pressed  and  beginning  to  fail  will  make  for  a 
cover  where  another  fox  is  known  ''to  use."  By 
many  it  is  believed  that  this  unceremonious  visit 
is  not  to  exchange  the  compliments  of  the  day, 
but  to  introduce  and  present  the  hounds  to  his 
acquaintance.  Upon  this  point  I  "hae  me  doots." 
Admitting  it  to  be  so,  it  is  always  a  successful 
ruse,  for  old  experienced  hounds  are  chary  about 
making  new  acquaintances,  at  least  until  they 
have  shaken  hands  with  the  original.  Young- 
hounds  are  not  so  particular  as  "all  scents  smell 
alike  to  them." 

The  only  evidence  of  stupidity  I  have  ever 


1 1 6  Horse  a7id  Hound. 

been  able  to  credit  a  fox  with  is  his  propensity 
for  regularly  running  the  same  line.  I  have 
known  foxes  to  have  a  regular  course  as  well  laid 
out  and  adhered  to  as  a  steeplechase,  and  no  mat- 
ter how  often  he  might  be  run  he  would  take  the 
same  identical  course,  even  to  jumping  a  fence  or 
wall  at  a  given  point,  and  not  varying  it  a  single 
panel.  Doubtless  they  realize  the  "ethics"  of  a 
sportsman  will  not  allow  him  to  take  an  undue 
advantage  by  putting  in  fresh  hounds  once  the 
chase  has  begun. 

As  before  stated,  Americans  are  more  easily 
satisfied  with  a  run  without  a  kill  than  their  Eng- 
lish cousins.  If  a  stiff-neck  red  has  given  them  a 
good  run,  they  will  often  give  him  a  new  lease  of 
life  by  whipping  off  the  hounds  when  it  is  possible 
to  do  so,  and  it  is  an  extremely  rare  occurrence 
for  a  fox  once  having  reached  his  hole  to  be 
routed  out  and  killed.  In  fact,  so  few  kills  are 
made  that  the  fox  may  well  be  said  to  take  his 
own  "lease  of  life." 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  foxes  are  more  easily 
lost  at  the  end  of  a  run,  when  tired  and  ex- 
hausted, than  when  fresh.  In  the  latter  condi- 
tion they  depend  upon  their  heels  saving  their 
pelts,  and  it  is  only  when  wearied  that  they  be- 
gin the  maneuvers  of  cunning  and  sagacity  for 
w^hich  they  are  famous.  Some  think  a  sinking 
fox  gives  less  scent,  but  I  have  never  been  able 
to  verifv  this. 


N.  S.  DAUGHERTY. 

Louisiana. 


116 


Tricks  and  Habits  of  the  Fox.       1 1 7 

A  tired  fox  jumping  a  fence  from  a  woodland 
into  an  open  will  frequently  skirt  the  fence  for  a 
few  hundred  yards  and  jump  back  into  the  wood, 
whereas  if  fresh  he  would  take  an  air  line  across 
the  open. 

Foxes  in  all  countries  are  stronger,  hardier, 
and  give  a  much  longer  and  better  chase  in  every 
way  during  the  months  of  December  and  January 
than  in  any  other.  This  is  especially  true  of  the 
dog  fox,  who  at  this  time  is  unusually  bold  and 
audacious. 

A  gorged  fox  is  as  unfit  to  run  as  a  darky 
after  a  visit  to  a  watermelon  patch ;  a  red  fox  in 
this  condition  will  often  be  mistaken  for  a  gray 
fox  from  his  unusual  manner  of  conducting  his 
campaign  against  the  hounds. 

A  fresh  fox,  pressed  hard,  will  circle  and  pass 
close  to  his  hole  several  times  without  entering. 
I  have  heard  old  hunters  advance  the  theory  that 
a  fox  when  heated  will  avoid  his  hole  as  long  as 
possible  for  fear  of  suffocation.  I  know  nothing 
in  contradiction  of  this  and  merely  state  the  facts. 

If  after  a  straight  away  run  of  several  miles 
the  line  begins  to  twist  and  turn,  and  a  complete 
loss  is  then  made,  do  not  attempt  to  get  up  an- 
other fox,  but  leisurely  return  to  the  jumping 
place,  and  the  chances  are  you  will  find  him  there 
ahead  of  you  and  ready  for  another  run. 

It  is  easy  to  tell  from  the  appearance  and  ac- 
tion of  sheep  when  a  fox  has  passed  through  the 


1 1 8  Ho7''se  mid  Hotmd. 

bunch ;  they  invariably  face  in  the  direction  he  has 
gone,  and  a  few  young  sheep  will  follow  to  the 
place  in  fence  where  the  fox  left  the  held. 

In  stocking  a  section  with  foxes,  all  captive 
foxes  should  be  carefully  examined  for  mange 
before  being  planted  or  turned  down ;  one  mangy 
fox  may  contaminate  every  one  in  your  section. 

If  mange  is  detected,  they  should  be  "dipped" 
before  being  liberated,  and  well  dusted  with  dry 
sulphur  on  being  released. 


THE  HOUND. 


'*  His  rush-grown  tail  o'er  his  broad  back  bends  in  an 

ample  arch :  on  shoulders  clean,  upright,  and  firm,  he  stands  :  his 
round  cat  foot,  straight  hams,  and  wide-spread  thighs,  and  his  low- 
dropping  chest,  confess  his  speed." — (Somerville. ) 

The:  character,  sensibilities,  and  intellectual 
faculties  of  the  foxhound  are  but  little  known ; 
they  are,  unfortunately,  considered  rather  stupid 
and  uninteresting  than  otherwise  by  the  majority 
of  the  people  in  this  country,  especially  those  un- 
acquainted with  the  mysteries  of  hound  lore.  In 
England,  for  hundreds  of  years,  they  have  been 
held  in  the  highest  estimation  for  their  splendid 
intelligence,  their  inexhausti]>le  courage,  and  un- 
equaled  endurance;  qualities  that  are  indispensa- 
ble in  adding  to  the  pleasure  of  her  sportsmen, 
and  there  is  no  gainsaying  the  fact  that  the  popu- 
larity of  the  hound  has  rapidly  increased  in  this 
country  during  tlie  past  quarter  of  a  century. 

The  origin  of  the  breed  has  been  the  subject  of 
debate  and  deep  research  among  sportsmen  from 
time  immemorial.  However,  it  is  generally  con- 
ceded to  be  a  judicious  crossing  between  the 
bloodhound  and  the  ancient  greyhound.  This  is 
undoubtedly  true,  as  a  first  cross  of  the  same 
119 


I20  Horse  and  Hound. 

breeds  to-day  will  produce  a  hound  with  many  of 
the  characteristics  and  qualities  of  the  foxhound ; 
this  I  ascertained  from  the  accidental  service  of 
one  of  my  bloodhound  l)itches  by  a  greyhound. 

Effingham  Wilson,  author  of  the  Field  Book, 
published  in  London  in  1835,  writing  of  the  stag- 
hound,  says: 

"It  seems  extremely  probable  that  this  large, 
strong,  and  ]>ony  hound  was  the  primeval  stock 
from  which  all  the  collateral  branches  (fox- 
hounds included)  of  this  race  have  descended, 
and  all  deviations  from  the  original  stem  have 
been  the  result  of  crosses  and  improvements  dur- 
ing many  centuries  by  those  skilled  in  rearing  and 
breeding  dogs  of  the  chase,  and  varied  in  strength 
and  size  according  to  the  particular  sport  for 
which  they  are  intended." 

As  to  the  antiquity  of  the  foxhound,  if  the 
writings  of  Gervase  Markham,  in  163 1,  are  to  be 
relied  upon,  hounds  were  used  in  the  chase  of  the 
fox  as  early  as  1630. 

The  origin  of  the  American  foxhound  has 
greatly  exercised  the  speculative  faculties  of  many 
writers,  many  of  whom  draw  upon  vague  tradi- 
tion and  conjecture  to  support  their  theories. 
(See  chapter  on  History  and  Origin.) 

Our  old-time  native  foxhounds  were  undoubt- 
edly degenerate  bloodhounds,  and  to  the  infusion 
of  English,  Irish,  and  French  blood  are  we  in- 
debted for  the  vast  improvement,   especially   in 


p 


Champion— BIG  STRIVE. 
English-American  cross  owned  by  NORVIN  T.  HARRIS,  M.  F.  H.  Hurstbcurne  Hounds. 


120 


The  Hound.  121 

conformation,  size,  and  some  of  the  better  qual- 
ities. 

The  general  average  of  excellence  is  much 
greater  than  it  was  even  a  decade  ago.  Within 
the  past  twenty  years  I  have  judged  hound  classes 
on  the  bench  at  such  cities  as  Chicago,  Cincinnati, 
St.  Louis,  and  New  York.  It  has  not  been  many 
years  since  I  sent  every  hound  from  the  ring 
in  American  hound  classes,  withholding  all 
awards.  I  hardly  think  this  could  occur  in  the 
present  day. 

The  improvement  in  the  class  of  hounds  in 
the  field  trials  is  no  less  marked. 

A  comparison  of  types,  as  advocated  by  that 
of  Beckford,  written  over  one  hundred  years  ago, 
and  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association,  will 
prove  interesting.  The  latter  standard  was  for- 
mulated by  the  following  committee:  W.  S. 
Walker,  W.  C.  Goodman,  A.  C.  Heffinger, 
Francis  J.  Hagan,  William  Wade,  Colonel  H.  C. 
Trigg,  and  myself  as  chairman.  It  has  been 
adopted  by  all  the  foxhound  field  trial  associa- 
tions and  bench  shows  as  the  standard  for  judg- 
ing American  hounds. 

Beckford's  description  is: 

"There  are  necessary  points  in  the  shape  of  a 
hound  which  ought  always  to  be  attended  to  by 
a  sportsman,  for  if  he  be  not  of  perfect  symmetry 
he  will  neither  run  fast  nor  bear  much  work.  He 
has  much  to  undergo  and  should  have  strength 


122  Horse  and  Hotmd. 

proportioned  to  it.  Let  his  legs  be  straight  as 
arrows,  his  feet  round  and  not  too  large,  his 
breast  rather  wide  than  narrow,  his  chest  deep, 
his  back  broad,  his  head  small,  his  neck  thin,  his 
tail  thick  and  bushy,  and  if  he  carry  it  well,  so 
much  the  better.  Such  hounds  as  are  out  at  the 
elbows  and  such  as  are  weak  from  the  knee  to 
the  foot,  should  never  be  taken  into  the  pack.  The 
color  I  think  of  little  moment." 

Tw^o  very  important  things  overlooked,  how- 
ever, by  Beckford,  are  the  length  of  the  thigh 
and  the  depth  of  the  back  ribs,  both  of  vital  im- 
portance. 

The  American  foxhound,  wdiile  differing  in 
some  respects  from  the  English,  should  be  judged 
upon  the  same  value  of  points. 

The  American  hound  should  be  smaller  and 
lighter  in  muscle  and  bone.  Dogs  should  not  be 
under  2 1  nor  over  24  inches,  nor  weigh  more  than 
60  ponds.  Bitches  should  not  be  under  20  nor 
over  22)  inches,  nor  weigh  more  than  53  pounds. 

The  head  (value  15)  should  be  of  medium 
size  with  muzzle  in  harmonious  proportions.  The 
skull  should  be  rounded  crosswise  with  slight 
peak — line  of  profile  nearly  straight — with  sufifi- 
cient  stop  to  give  symmetry  to  head.  Ears  me- 
dium, not  long,  thin,  soft  in  coat,  low  set  and 
closely  pendant.  Eyes  soft,  medium  size,  and 
varying  shades  of  brown.     Nostrils  slightly  ex- 


The  Hound.  123 

panded.  The  head,  as  a  whole,  should  denote 
hound  ''character." 

The  neck  (value  5)  must  be  clean  and  of  good 
length,  slightly  arched,  strong  where  it  springs 
from  the  shoulder,  and  gradually  tapermg  to  the 
head  without  trace  of  throatiness. 

The  shoulders  (value  10)  should  be  of  suffi- 
cient length  to  give  leverage  and  power — well 
sloped,  muscular,  but  clean  run  and  not  too  broad. 

Chest  and  back  ribs  (value  10).  The  chest 
should  be  deep  for  lung  space,  narrower  in  pro- 
portion to  depth  than  the  English  hound — 28 
inches  in  a  24-inch  hound  being  good.  Well- 
sprung  ribs — back  ribs  should  extend  well  back — 
a  three-inch  flank  allowing  springiness. 

The  back  and  loin  (value  10)  should  be  broad, 
short,  and  strong,  slightly  arched. 

The  hindquarters  and  lower  thighs  (value 
10)  must  be  well  muscled  and  very  strong. 

The  stifles  should  be  low  set,  not  too  much 
bent  nor  yet  too  straight — a  happy  medium. 

The  elbows  (value  5)  should  be  set  straight, 
neither  in  nor  out. 

Legs  and  feet  (value  20)  are  of  great  im- 
portance. Legs  should  be  straight  and  placed 
squarely  under  shoulder,  having  plenty  of  bone 
without  clumsiness;  strong  pasterns  well  stood 
upon.  Feet  round,  catlike,  not  too  large,  toes 
well  knuckled,  close  and  compact,  strong  nails, 
pad  thiclv,  tough,  and  indurated  by  use. 


124  Horse  and  Hound. 

Color  and  coat  (value  5).  Black,  white,  and 
tan  are  preferable,  though  the  solids  and  various 
pies  are  permissible;  coat  should  be  rough  and 
coarse  without  being  wiry  or  shaggy. 

Symmetry  (value  5) .  The  form  of  the  hound 
should  be  harmonious  throughout.  He  should 
show  his  blood  quality  and  hound  character  in 
every  aspect  and  movement.  If  he  scores  high  in 
other  properties,  symmetry  is  bound  to  follow. 

The  stern  (value  5)  must  be  strong  in  bone 
at  the  root,  of  medium  length,  carried  like  a  saber 
on  line  with  spine,  and  must  have  good  brush — a 
docked  stern  should  not  disqualify,  but  simply 
handicap  according  to  extent  of  docking. 

Summary. 

Head 15 

Neck   5 

Shoulders   10 

Chest  and  back  ribs 10 

Back  and  loin 10 

Hindquarters  and  lower  thighs.  .  .  10 

Elbows   5 

Legs  and  feet 20 

Color  and  coat 5 

Stern  5 

Symmetry 5 


100 


1. 

Nose. 

9. 

Tod  of  shoulder  blades  or 

15. 

Fore-arm. 

2. 

Flews  or  Chaps. 

"  shoulder." 

16. 

Knee. 

3. 

Nasal  Bone. 

10 

Top  of  Hip- joint. 

17. 

Stifle-joint 

4. 

Stop. 

1  1. 

Shoulder-blade   or   scap- 

18. 

Hocks. 

5. 

Skull. 

ula. 

19. 

Stern. 

6. 

Occiput. 

12. 

Rump-bone. 

20. 

Chest. 

7. 

Dewlap  (where  sue 

h  exists.) 

13 

Arm. 

21. 

Pasterns. 

8. 

Brisket. 

14. 

Elbow. 

The  Hound.  125 

FauIvTs  in  Hound  Construction. 

Head  too  short  and  thick. 

Neck  short,  throaty. 

Shoulders  upright  and  loaded. 

Lack  of  muscle. 

Not  straight  below  knee. 

Hind  leg  too  straight. 

Long,  fiat  foot. 

Hock  not  close  enough  to  ground. 

Slack  loin,  sway  back. 

Shallow^  chest,  flat  side. 

A  narrow  chest. 

Head  lacking  hound  quality. 

Crooked  and  light-boned  legs. 

Improperly  set  or  carried  stern. 

Loose,  flat  feet. 

Faults  in  Field. 

Too  slow. 

Bad  caster. 

Babbler. 

Potterer. 

Roader. 

Skirter. 

Rioter. 

The  extraordinary  scenting  powers  of  a 
hound  are  as  unlimited  as  they  are  unrivaled, 
and  never  cease  to  be  a  wonder  to  the  novice. 
The  instinct  to  pursue  and  kill  is  a  second  nature 
in  the  hound,  and  they  seem  to  derive  an  insa- 


126  Horse  and  Hound. 

liable  pleasure  in  indulging  it.  Nature  has  en- 
dowed them  with  an  enduring  patience  and  cour- 
age that  enables  them,  hungry,  fatigued,  footsore, 
and  exhausted,  to  continue  the  chase  while  every 
step  is  painful  to  a  degree. 

Hounds  have  been  known  to  run  a  fox  or  deer 
twenty-four  hours  continuously  without  food  or 
rest.  Bitches  have  been  known  to  whelp  while  in 
a  chase,  and  an  authentic  case  is  on  record  of  a 
bitch  whelping  a  pup  and  taking  it  up  in  her 
mouth  and  continuing  the  run.  I  shipped  a  bitch 
to  the  Brunswick  Fur  Trials  in  1902  that  had  es- 
caped from  the  kennel  the  night  before,  and  join- 
ing a  running  pack,  had  run  for  twelve  hours  in 
the  rough,  rocky  cliffs  of  the  Kentucky  River. 
She  reached  Barre  the  day  of  the  trials  two  days 
later,  and  her  handler  wired  me  for  instructions, 
saying  she  had  cut  all  the  pads  from  her  feet,  and 
could  hardly  walk.  I  wired  him  to  put  collodion 
on  her  feet  and  start  her  anyhow,  which  he  did. 
While  not  winning,  she  ran  gamely  throughout 
the  trials,  never  faltering,  and  a  hunter  present, 
realizing  her  gameness,  wired  me  for  price  on 
her.  It  is  needless  to  add  I  refused  to  put  a  price 
on  her. 

In  England  skirting  is  considered  one  of  the 
most  serious  faults  a  hound  can  have.  In  view 
of  the  fact  that  they  hunt  "home-grown  foxes," 
and  know  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  where 
the  fox  will  be  jumped,  this  may  well  be  classed 


The  Hound.  127 

as  a  fault,  but  with  us  it  is  proof  of  sagacity  in 
a  hound  and  many  a  pack  would  be  returned  to 
the  kennel  after  a  day's  blank  drawing  were  it 
not  for  the  skirters. 

I  have  also  heard  It  asserted  that  if  a  hound 
were  ''too  heely"  (fast)  for  the  pack,  it  would 
be  considered  a  fault,  and  he  would  be  disposed 
of,  as  would  a  hound  with  too  much  tongue. 

That  they  do  not  encourage  these  two  quali- 
ties, I  am  inclined  to  believe,  for  I  never  saw  an 
English  hound  with  either  surplus  speed  or 
tongue. 

I  have  always  been  partial  to  the  medium  size 
in  hounds;  the  small  hounds  are  usually  very  ac- 
tive and  possess  great  powers  of  endurance,  but 
are  at  a  disadvantage  when  running  through 
heavy  weeds,  bushes,  and  briers,  and  are  handi- 
capped by  tall  fences. 

The  large  hounds  can  not  stand  the  heat,  and 
the  constant  pounding  on  rough,  rocky  ground 
soon  puts  them  upon  crutches.  If  hounds  were 
required  to  take  up  a  handicap  or  impost  of  15 
or  20  pounds  weight,  then  the  English  type  of 
hound  would  be  strictly  in  it,  but  as  nose,  speed, 
and  endurance  are  the  qualities  necessary  to  suc- 
cessfully cope  with  our  red  fox,  I  fail  to  appre- 
ciate this  extra  weight  carrying  capacity  or  see 
the  necessity  of  having  a  hound  whose  weight  of 
bone  in  foreleg  and  shoulder  will  outweigh  all 
the  bones  in  the  frame  of  his  quarry. 
9 


128  Horse  and  Hound, 

The  question  whether  bitches  are  better  than 
dogs  in  the  field  is  a  mooted  one.  I  am  rather  in- 
dined  to  think  they  are,  though  I  know  of  many 
experienced  hunters  who  hold  to  the  other  theory. 
In  England  the  lady  packs  (bitches)  are  hunted 
separately,  and  they  are  considered  both  faster 
and  quicker,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  this  is  be- 
cause they  are  smaller,  and  were  the  dogs  the 
same  size  and  build,  I  do  not  think  the  difference 
would  be  as  apparent,  though  slightly  in  favor 
of  the  bitches.  In  this  country,  where  less  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  appearance,  size,  and  sortiness  of 
a  pack,  dogs  and  bitches  are  hunted  together,  and 
as  dogs  are  undoubtedly  freer  with  their  tongues, 
while  bitches  have  more  dash  and  vim,  though  are 
less  steady,  they  undoubtedly  make  a  strong  com- 
bination in  working  together. 

It  is  a  widely  discussed  question,  and  much 
has  been  written  upon  the  relative  merits  of  the 
American  and  English  hounds.  In  touching  upon 
this  subject  I  shall  attempt  to  give  a  fair  and  im- 
partial statement  of  the  same  as  seen  from  my 
viewpoint.  I  have  also  advised  with  others  whom 
I  consider  authorities  upon  the  subject,  being 
hunters  of  wide  experience,  who,  like  myself, 
have  imported,  bred,  raised,  and  hunted  English 
hounds  of  the  very  best  strains  to  be  had. 

In  the  matter  of  breeding  true  to  a  type,  we 
must  yield  the  palm  to  the  English;  in  the  art 
and  science  of  breeding  they  are  not  only  the 


^    r 


12S 


The  Hound.  129 

peers,  but  the  superiors,  of  all  other  nations,  and 
this  applies  to  all  domestic  animals  as  well  as  the 
horse  and  hound. 

As  to  hounds,  they  have  established  a  high 
standard  of  excellence  as  to  size,  symmetry,  con- 
formation, and  beauty  of  form  and  style,  and 
breed  for  these  qualities  to  the  detriment  of  nose, 
speed,  endurance,  and  fox  sense.  While  we  must 
admit  that  an  even,  level,  sorty-looking  pack,  well 
balanced  in  size,  color,  and  markings,  are  pleas- 
ing to  the  eye,  yet  none  of  these  qualities  can 
compare  with  those  of  nose,  speed,  endurance, 
and  fox  sense  when  it  comes  to  hunting  foxes  in 
America.  We  admit  the  English  are  far  our 
superiors  in  breeding,  and  had  they  for  the  past 
two  hundred  years  employed  their  ability  and 
efforts  to  perfect  hounds  in  the  latter  qualities, 
they  would  undoubtedly  have  produced  a  hound 
that  could  come  to  this  country  and  eclipse  any 
of  our  hounds  in  the  field,  instead  of  taking  posi- 
tion as  second-raters,  as  they  invariably  do. 

Admirers  of  English  hounds  excuse  their 
many  faults  by  stating  they  are  well  adapted  for 
the  work  required  of  them  in  England.  Grant- 
ing this,  until  it  is  proven  that  the  American 
hound  is  their  inferior  on  their  own  ground  in 
England,  I  must  take  issue  with  them,  for  I  am 
prepared  to  state  emphatically  from,  personal 
knowledge,  that  under  the  conditions  obtaining  In 
the  greater  hunting  portions  of  America,  the  Eng- 


130  Horse  and  Hound, 

lish  hounds  are  far  from  being  the  equals  of  the 
natives  as  "all  around"  foxhounds. 

I  have  imported  hounds  from  some  of  the 
best  packs  in  England,  Pychtly,  Grafton,  Quorn, 
Belvoir,  and  others,  and  have  hunted  with  many 
imported  by  others,  but  have  never  hunted  or 
seen  one  in  the  field  that  I  considered  a  top- 
notcher. 

There  Is  no  doubt  but  the  English  hound  is 
more  satisfactory  to  hunt  clubs  in  the  East,  where 
the  majority  hunt  to  ride ;  they  are  better  trained 
and  broken,  more  evenly  mated  as  to  speed,  not 
fast  enough  to  get  away  from  the  riders,  more 
sightly  in  appearance — if  one  can  close  his  eyes 
to  the  "out  at  elbow"  and  "toeing  in"  appearance 
that  nine-tenths  of  them  present.  They  generally 
are  an  even  sorty  lot,  and  frequently  as  much 
alike  as  two  peas,  which  Is  all  important  with 
many,  as  was  evidenced  by  the  reply  I  received 
from  a  celebrated  Eastern  hunter  who  has  famous 
jumping  horses  and  a  well-known  pack  of  hounds. 
He  wrote  me  to  know  if  I  could  let  him  have  a 
hound  good  enough  to  win  in  field  trials  about  to 
be  held.  I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  stated 
I  had  one  I  knew  could  smother  his  crack  win- 
ning hound — which,  by  the  way,  I  had  also  bred. 
He  seemed  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  securing 
such  a  good  one,  and  I  had  the  bitch  shipped  him, 
a  big,  fine,  racy,  symmetrical  hound.  He  re- 
turned her  with  the  statement  that  she  had  a 


The  Hound,  131 

white  spot  on  one  side  of  her  head,  and  it  was 
unnecessary  to  try  her  qualities  in  the  field,  as 
this  would  spoil  the  appearance  of  his  pack! 

The  hunting  in  England  does  not  call  for  the 
|x>ssession  of  the  same  qualities  in  hounds  as  it 
does  in  America.  There  the  climatic  and  atmos- 
pheric conditions  are  generally  favorable,  espe- 
cially in  the  moist  grass  countries,  where  trail- 
ing conditions  are  such  that  scent  hangs  breast 
high,  and  a  hound  with  half  a  nose  could  run  it 
at  top  speed. 

The  coverts  are  convenient  and  small,  the 
huntsman  knows  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of 
where  the  fox  ''uses,"  and  can  lay  his  hounds  on 
the  line  at  any  time.  The  foxes  are  fat,  sleek, 
well  fed,  and  in  an  untrained  condition — a 
straight  away  run  of  eight  or  ten  miles  is  un- 
common. The  runs  seldom  exceed  one  and  a  half 
or  two  hours,  once  in  a  dozen  chases. 

If  a  check  or  loss  is  made  the  hounds  have 
the  assistance  of  huntsmen,  whippers  in,  earth 
stoppers,  and  the  hunter  in  regaining  the  line. 

The  problem  that  confronts  the  American 
hound  is  an  altogether  different  proposition.  Our 
coverts  and  forests  are  extremely  large,  the  foxes 
remaining  wild  and  timid,  and  seldom  pass  twen- 
ty-four hours  without  a  run  of  from  four  to  eight 
hours,  the  hounds  frequently  running  them  by 
themselves  without  hunters  (unless  the  packs  are 


132  Horse  and  Hound. 

large  they  are  not  kenneled  and  generally  run  at 
large). 

One  or  two  ambitious  hounds  will  alone  get 
up  a  fox  at  dusk,  and  as  they  circle  through  the 
neighborhood  all  the  hounds  in  hearing  ''hark" 
to  theni  until  ten  or  a  dozen  couples  are  bustling 
him  in  full  cry.  Does  the  fox  go  to  earth  ?  Not 
he,  earth  stoppers  are  unnecessary;  he  will  lead 
them  a  merry  chase  as  long  as  he  can  drag  one 
foot  behind  the  other,  or  until  daylight  warns 
him  he  had  better  ''seek  the  seclusion  that  his 
burrow  grants."  I  have,  upon  more  than  one 
occasion  in  the  "Blue  Grass  Country,"  heard  two 
and  three  different  packs  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  each  one  after  a  different  fox,  making 
music  that  would  cause  the  blood  to  go  galloping 
through  one's  veins  like  a  race  horse. 

Thus  at  any  time  his  "foxship"  is  trained  to 
the  minute. 

The  character  of  the  country  hunted  over  is 
frequently  dry  and  rocky,  many  large  plowed  and 
cultivated  fields  with  woodlands  strewn  with  dry, 
parched  leaves.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  hounds 
to  hunt  half  a  day  before  a  trail  is  struck ;  it  may 
then  be  an  old,  over-night  trail  that  will  require 
hours  of  persevering  work  before  the  fox  is  afoot. 

I  am  prepared  to  state  that  a  hound  that  would 
be  considered  a  wonder  in  the  grass  countries  of 
England,  if  cast  with  a  pack  in  America  in  our 
Southern  States,  where  he  would  be  expected  to 


BOURBON. 
American  Hound.     Williams  Strain. 


132 


The  Hound.  133 

take  a  trail  many  hours  old,  in  a  dry,  barren 
country,  puzzle  it  out  for  several  hours,  make  a 
jump  and  then  run  it  from  ten  to  twenty  hours — 
a  feat  I  have  seen  performed  scores  of  times  by 
American  hounds — would  find  himself  hopelessly 
out  of  a  job. 

The  English  hounds  have  been  packed  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  eradicate  the  independence  and 
self-reliance  so  natural  to  the  American  hound; 
the  latter  hunts  independently  of  hound  or  man, 
and  seldom  expects  or  receives  any  assistance 
from  either. 

Mr.  Mather,  a  most  enthusiastic  hunter  and 
experienced  breeder,  who  has  experienced  with 
the  English,  the  American,  and  the  cross-bred 
hounds,  is  one  of  the  very  few  champions  of  the 
English  hound.  His  opinion  does  not  seem  to 
be  shared  by  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
Radnor  Hunt.  While  master  of  the  Radnor 
Hunt,  he  alternated  the  hounds,  hunting  a  pack 
of  the  English  hounds  one  day,  and  a  pack  of 
American  hounds  the  next.  It  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  the  majority  of  the  hunters  always 
turned  out  on  the  day  the  American  pack  was 
run.  In  his  article  on  English  hounds,  in  the 
American  Sportsmen's  Library  (Sporting  Dogs), 
he  says  that  he  would  "no  more  breed  to  Shirley, 
an  American  hound,  than  he  would  send  Hanover 
mares  to  a  Hackney  stallion." 


134  Horse  and  Hound. 

I  bred  Shirley  (see  picture).  As  to  his  field 
qualities,  he  won  first  in  speed  and  driving  classes 
at  the  Brunswick  Fur  Club,  and  as  to  his  confor- 
mation, quality,  and  symmetry,  is  a  several  times 
first  prize  winner  on  the  bench,  surely  a  good 
record.  It  is  true,  he  is  not  as  large  as  a  yearling 
calf,  and  this  is  wherein  he  has  doubtless  of- 
fended. 

Reference  to  the  earlier  volumes  of  the  Fox- 
hound stud  books,  compiled  and  published  by  me, 
containing  i,ooo  pedigrees,  will  show  that  many 
American  breeders  crossed  their  bitches  on  the 
English  hound,  but  the  last  volume,  now  in  press, 
shows  this  practice  has  been  discontinued.  I  my- 
self have  imported  hounds  from  the  celebrated 
English  packs,  and  crossed  them  on  bitches  that 
were  undersized,  merely  to  get  bone  and  sub- 
stance, but  this  was  obtained  only  at  the  sacrifice 
of  other  qualities,  possibly  more  desirable. 

The  hound  Banker,  which  won  first  prize  at 
the  show  at  the  Brunswick  Fur  Club  in  1903,  for 
best  stallion  hound,  was  bred  by  me,  and  was 
the  result  of  one  of  my  experiments,  as  he  was 
sired  by  Imp.  Admiral,  an  English  hound  from 
the  Quorn  pack,  and  out  of  one  of  my  native 
American  bitches.  Although  entered  in  the  field 
trials  at  Barre,  he  failed  to  get  in  the  money,  yet 
he  had  no  trouble  in  disposing  of  the  field  trial 
winners  who  had  beaten  him,  when  he  came  into 


BANKER. 
Williams  Strain. 


134 


The  Hound,  135 

competition  with  them  on  the  bench.  (See  por- 
trait.) 

I  am  not  alone  in  my  opinion  of  the  relative 
merits  of  the  English  and  American  hounds.  Mr. 
Harry  W.  Smith,  master  of  the  Grafton  Hunt, 
who,  like  myself,  has  hunted  both  the  American 
and  English  hounds  in  America,  and  the  Eng- 
lish hounds  in  England,  considers  the  English 
hound  useless  when  it  comes  to  individual  work 
picking  up  cold  scent,  giving  tongue  to  bring  the 
other  hounds  to  the  trail,  and  running  the  trail 
five  or  six  hours,  under  American  conditions. 

Colonel  H.  C.  Trigg,  the  "Nestor  of  the 
Hunt,"  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  practical 
breeders  and  hunters  of  foxhounds  in  America; 
Mr.  W.  S.  Walker,  the  present  owner  of  the 
Walker  hounds ;  Thomas  Hitchcock,  of  the  Aiken 
hounds,  and  many  others  who  gave  the  English 
hounds  a  thorough  test  of  several  years'  dura- 
tion, have  all  abandoned  them  for  the  American. 
This,  however,  merely  proves  that  American 
hounds  are  superior  to  English  hounds  hunted 
in  America.  What  an  American  pack  could  do 
in  England  remains  to  be  seen. 

I  have  seen  hounds  in  France  (probably 
hounds  of  Gascogne  or  Normandie)  which  I  am 
satisfied  would  cross  well  upon  our  smaller  Amer- 
ican hounds.  They  were  from  24  to  28  inches 
tall,  of  a  tri-color,  with  very  long,  lean  head, 


136  Horse  and  Hound. 

prominent  peak;  ears  long,  thin,  pendulous,  and 
velvety;  strong  in  body,  though  rather  long  in 
loin,  but  well  arched,  good  powerful,  compact 
feet. 

I  did  not  hunt  these  hounds,  but  they  seemed 
rather  headstrong  and  hard  to  control.  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  the  early  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia hounds  contained  some  of  this  blood. 


136 


HISTORY  AND  ORIGIN  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  HOUND. 

The  origin  and  early  history  of  the  American 
hound  is  clouded  somewhat  in  mystery. 

It  is  generally  understood  they  were  imported 
from  England,  but  exactly  when,  and  by  whom, 
we  have  no  authentic  record. 

While  believing  they  are  largely  descended 
from  the  English  hound,  there  is  no  doubt  in  my 
mind  that  the  French  hound  plays  equally  as  im- 
portant part  in  their  origin.  Lafayette  sent 
over  a  large  pack  of  French  hounds,  this  be- 
ing really  the  first  pack  of  hounds  we  have  any 
record  of  as  having  been  imported  into  the  United 
States  as  a  pack,  though  individual  hounds  had 
been  previously  imported  from  England. 

If  we  can  rely  upon  shape,  conformation, 
hound  characteristics,  and  general  appearance, 
then  we  are  indebted  more  to  the  French  than 
the  English  hound  for  our  orginal  stock.  I  have 
seen  many  packs  of  hounds  in  different  parts  of 
France  that  certainly  resembled  our  old-time,  na- 
tive black  and  tan,  long-eared,  long-headed,  high- 
peaked,  deep-mouthed  hounds,  much  more  than 
137 


138  Horse  and  Hound, 

the  English  hound,  though  the  present  American 
hound — judged  by  the  National  Fox-hunters'  As- 
sociation standard — more  closely  resembles  the 
English. 

As  far  back  as  the  Revolutionary  War,  the 
chief  sport  and  pastime  of  the  South  was  fox- 
hunting, and  while  no  regularly  organized  hunts 
were  established,  every  Southern  gentleman  of 
means  had  his  hounds  and  was  as  proud  and  jeal- 
ous of  their  reputation  as  of  those  of  his  horses 
and  of  his  own  family.  While  at  this  period  no 
tabulated  pedigrees  were  kept  nor  hounds  regis- 
tered— no  stud  book  having  been  established — 
each  owner  was  as  careful  in  the  breeding  of  his 
hounds  to  good  performers  only,  as  he  was  of  his 
racers. 

In  the  North,  at  this  period,  a  few  straggling 
individual  hounds  were  owned,  not  to  chase  the 
fox,  but  to  drive  him  and  deer  within  range  of  a 
ten-bore  gun  waiting  to  perforate  their  pelts  with 
buckshot. 

Among  the  earlies  settlers  of  Maryland  was 
Robert  Brooke,  a  son  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick, 
who  brought  over  a  pack  of  English  hounds  with 
him.  The  breeders  and  admirers  of  the  Brooke 
strain  of  hounds,  so  well  and  favorably  known  in 
Maryland,  claim  they  are  the  direct  descendants 
of  the  hounds  brought  over  by  Robert  Brooke. 
Allowing  for  the  many  outcrosses  during  all  these 
years,  there  is  still  resemblance  enough  to  justify 


History  and  Origin.  139 

these  claims,  though  they  have  certainly  deterio- 
rated in  size  and  type  if  the  accounts  of  Brooke's 
Barney  were  not  overdrawn. 

The  Brooke  strain  is  one  of  the  oldest  we  have 
record  of  in  this  country,  and  owners  of  them 
point  with  pride  to  their  long  unbroken  line  of  an- 
cestry. 

Kentucky  has  always  been  noted  for  its  beau- 
tiful women,  fine  horses,  and  good  whisky.  As 
horses  and  hounds  always  go  together,  it  is  not, 
therefore,  surprising  that  the  records  both  of  the 
bench  and  hound  field  trials  show  conclusively 
that  the  very  best  foxhounds  in  America  come 
from  Kentucky. 

Several  reasons  are  given  why  the  horses  and 
hounds  of  Kentucky  are  superior  to  those  of  all 
other  States.  Among  them  is  the  fact  that  the 
water  contains  a  larger  percentage  of  phosphate 
of  lime  than  any  other  section,  and  the  effect  of 
this  upon  stamina,  size,  and  bone  is  well  known. 
It  is  not  only  apparent  in  the  lower  animals,  in- 
cluding horses  and  hounds,  but  also  in  man,  for 
the  records  of  the  Civil  War  show  the  men  en- 
listed in  Kentucky  were  both  taller  and  heavier 
on  an  average  than  those  from  any  other  State. 

Kentucky,  settled  by  Virginians  and  Mary- 
landers,  from  its  earliest  settlement  was  consid- 
ered the  greatest  hunting  ground  in  this  country, 
and  the  many  wars  waged  by  the  Indians  before 


140  Horse  and  Hound. 

they  would  surrender  it,  secured  for  it  its  name 
of  Kentucky,  meaning  the  dark  and  bloody 
ground.  The  immense  bands  of  deer  and  elk 
that  roamed  the  forest  were  the  direct  means  of 
introducing  the  hound,  and  from  that  day  to  the 
present  they  have  been  bred  with  the  sole  idea 
to  excel  in  hunting,  trailing,  and  endurance.  That 
they  have  succeeded  is  proven  by  the  records  of 
the  foxhound  field  trials,  which  show  that  80  per 
cent  of  the  winners  are  Kentucky  strain. 

The  most  famous  strain  of  hounds,  not  only 
in  Kentucky,  but  in  the  United  States,  to-day,  is 
the  Walker  hound. 

Mr.  John  W.  Walker,  born  in  1802  in  Mad- 
ison County,  Kentucky,  and  the  father  of  Messrs. 
Edward,  Steve  (W.  S.),  and  Arch  Walker,  who, 
although  close  to  seventy  years  old,  are  to-day 
considered  the  best  fox-hunters  in  America,  bar 
none,  obtained  his  first  hounds  from  his  uncle, 
Wm.  Williams,  who  used  them  exclusively  for 
deer.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  this  strain  of  hounds 
has  beai  in  this  family  for  over  one  hundred 
years. 

General  G.  W.  Maupin,  for  whom  the  Mau- 
pin  strain  was  named,  was  a  neighbor  of  Mr. 
John  Walker,  a  close  personal  friend,  and  brother 
huntsman.  They  continued  to  hunt  the  gray  fox 
and  deer  until  in  the  early  fifties  the  red  fox 
made  his  appearance  in  Kentucky,  and  they  be- 


Pm^ 


DAVID  T.   DANA. 

M.  F.  H.  Berkshire  Hunt, 
Massachusetts. 


140 


History  and  Origin,  141 

gan  to  look  around  for  a  faster  strain  of  hounds 
to  cross  upon  their  native  hounds.  They  tried 
hounds  from  South  CaroHna,  Virginia,  and 
Maryland  without  success,  and  about  1856  they 
imported  Rifler  and  Queen  from  the  kennels  of 
the  Duke  of  Buccleuch.  The  Walkers  admit  that 
the  cross  of  these  English  hounds  was  a  distinct 
improvement,  especially  in  size,  conformation,  and 
feet.  General  Maupin  obtained  a  hound  (named 
Lead),  pedigree  and  breeding  unknown,  from 
the  section  of  country  where  Kentucky,  Tennes- 
see, and  Virginia  meet.  He  was  a  great  all-round 
foxhound  and  was  most  successfully  crossed  on 
all  the  Maupin-Walker  bitches,  and  to  this  day 
the  best  hounds  of  the  Walker  strain  trace  di- 
rectly back  to  Maupin's  Lead.  They  bought  a 
number  of  other  hounds  from  the  same  section, 
said  to  be  close  relatives  of  Lead,  but  they  all 
proved  worthless,  and  were  never  used  in  the 
stud. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  B.  F.  Robinson,  of  Mt. 
Sterling,  Kentucky,  the  originator  of  the  Rob- 
inson strain,  a  most  enthusiastic  hunter  and  ac- 
complished horseman,  brought  a  number  of  Irish 
hounds  from  Maryland  and  crossed  them  suc- 
cessfully upon  his  native  pack.  The  most  noted 
of  these  hounds  were  Whitey  and  Furey,  who 
figure  very  extensively  in  the  present  stud  books 
of  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association. 
Messrs.  Walker  and  Maupin  also  tried  the  ex- 


142  Horse  and  Hound. 

periment  of  an  infusion  of  the  Irish  Maryland 
blood,  but  were  not  pleased  with  the  results. 

Mr.  W.  S.  Walker  states  that  the  best  hounds 
they  have  ever  owned  contained  one-eighth  Eng- 
lish, one-eighth  Lead,  and  six-eighths  native 
Walker  strain. 

The  Byron  hounds,  of  Virginia,  at  one  time 
in  the  earlier  history  of  fox-hunting,  were  con- 
sidered the  bluest  of  blue  bloods  in  the  hound 
family.  The  original  stock  was  owned  and 
hunted  by  Colonel  Tucker.  His  best  stallion 
hound  was  Byron,  from  whom  the  strain  took 
their  name.  Byron  was  sired  by  Rattler  (the 
star  of  the  Percival  pack,  1830) ;  grandsire,  For- 
rester; all  of  the  Byron  strain  greatly  resembled 
the  Irish  hounds  of  Maryland. 

After  the  war  they  were  scattered  all  over 
the  South  and  the  purity  of  the  blood,  as  a  strain, 
lost. 

The  Henry  strain  of  hounds  owe  their  name 
and  existence  to  Dr.  Thomas  Henry,  a  Virginian, 
and  a  grandson  of  Patrick  Henry,  of  Revolu- 
tionary fame.  His  stallion  hound  Captain  was 
by  Traveler,  out  of  Sophy,  both  of  whom  were 
by  Mountain,  and  out  of  Muse.  Mountain  and 
Muse  were  imported  from  Ireland  in  18 12  by  Mr. 
Bolton  Jackson,  of  Sharpsburg,  Maryland,  and 
they  transmitted  the  best  qualities  of  the  Irish 
hounds  to  their  descendants. 

Mr.  Geo.  L.  F.  Birdsong,  of  Georgia,  in  the 


History  and  Origin,  143 

early  forties,  used  the  Henry  hound  in  crossing 
with  his  native  pack  of  Redbones,  the  result  be- 
ing the  Birdsong;  the  latter  being  the  foundation, 
or  parent  stock,  of  many  of  the  modem  strains 
of  the  present  time. 

The  July  strain  originated  in  Georgia,  and 
derive  their  name  from  July,  a  hound  that  was 
procured  from  Mr.  Nimrod  Gosnell,  of  Mary- 
land, by  Mr.  Miles  Harris,  in  i860.  It  is  claimed 
by  many  that  July  was  a  direct  descendant  of 
Mountain  and  Muse,  but  while  he  was  undoubt- 
edly of  the  Irish  strain,  this  could  never  be  veri- 
fied. He  was  crossed  quite  freely  upon  the  na- 
tive bitches,  which  had  previously  been  known  as 
Maryland  hounds.  This  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  the  July,  and  is  so  known  to  the  pres- 
ent time. 

They  possess  great  homing  instincts,  are  fast 
runners,  of  limited  endurance  as  compared  with 
other  strains;  they  contain  many  outcrosses,  and 
are  of  every  color  and  size,  evidently  never  hav- 
ing been  bred  to  any  certain  type. 

It  is  a  generally  conceded  fact  that  the  July 
strain  of  the  present  day  have  quite  a  percentage 
of  greyhound  blood  in  them;  in  fact,  it  is  appar- 
ent to  any  one  who  is  a  close  observer  of  blood 
lines  in  breeding,  and  many  characteristics  of 
the  greyhound  crop  out  in  them  in  their  field 
work. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  an  infusion  of 


144  Horse  and  Hound, 

greyhound  blood  was  used  as  late  as  1880,  in- 
creasing the  speed  to  the  detriment  of  other  qual- 
ities equally  as  desirable  in  a  hound. 

With  probably  the  exception  of  the  Walker 
strain  the  Trigg  strain  is  the  best  known  of  the 
modern,  up-to-date  hounds.  The  master,  Col- 
onel H.  C.  Trigg  (Full-Cry),  of  Kentucky,  has 
owned  and  hunted  his  pack  continuously  for  over 
a  half-century.  Being  a  man  of  ample  means, 
he  has  never  spared  expense  in  the  improvement 
of  his  hounds,  and  he  can  well  be  proud  of  his 
success  as  a  breeder,  as  the  annals  of  the  fox- 
hound trials  show  that  his  hounds  are  always  in 
the  awards. 

His  original  pack,  used  in  1845,  was  the  old- 
time,  long-eared,  rat-tail,  deep-toned,  black  and 
tan,  Southern  hound.  The  first  out-cross  on 
these  was  the  Birdsong  strain,  he  having  pur- 
chased Chase,  Bee,  George,  Rip,  and  Fannie  from 
Mr.  Birdsong  in  the  early  sixties,  paying  what 
was  at  that  time  considered  a  fabulous  price  for 
them.  Twenty  years  later  he  introduced  the 
Walker-Maupin  blood  with  signal  success.  He 
made  but  one  attempt  to  introduce  the  English 
blood,  through  ''Portland,"  from  the  Quorn  ken- 
nels, but  considered  it  a  failure  and  soon  weeded 
it  out. 

Though  a  master  for  over  fifty  years,  he  is 
to-day  as  hard  and  straight  a  rider  to  hounds  as 
one  will  find.     A  few  years  ago  I  followed  him 


COL.  H.  C.  TRIGG. 


144 


M.  F.  H.  Trigg  Hounds, 
Kentucky. 


History  and  Origin.  145 

throughout  a  day's  hard  riding  to  hounds,  he 
mounting  after  having  received  a  shoulder  dislo- 
cation that  would  have  sent  many  a  younger  man 
to  his  bed. 

The  Redbone  is  one  of  the  old-time  strains; 
confined  exclusively  to  the  Southern  States.  The 
"native"  Birdsong,  Georgia,  Virginia,  and  Ken- 
tucky hounds  v^ere  undoubtedly  the  Redbone 
strain  before  the  introduction  of  the  various 
crosses  previously  mentioned.  They  were  a  slow, 
painstaking  hound,  with  superior  nose  and  splen- 
did mouth,  without  speed. 

As  foxhounds  the  strain  has  passed  out  of  ex- 
istence, though  in  the  South  many  pure  bred 
specimens  can  still  be  found;  they  are  known  as 
the  "nigger"  dog,  or  American  bloodhound,  and 
are  used  almost  exclusively  either  for  man  trail- 
ing or  coon  and  opossum  hunting. 

The  Buckfield  strain,  or  "Natives,"  as  gen- 
erally called,  are  to  be  found  only  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  are  totally  unlike  any  other  strain  of 
hounds  in  America.  They  were  first  heard  of  in 
the  vicinity  of  Buckfield,  Maine,  and  derived  their 
name  from  this  fact.  They  have  been  used 
chiefly  in  driving  game  through  runways  to  be 
shot  by  hunters,  and  are  said  to  be  very  proficient 
in  their  art,  possessing  keen  noses,  great  judg- 
ment, and  remarkable  endurance. 

The  Wild  Goose  strain  of  hounds  of  Tennes- 


146  Horse  and  Hound. 

see  dates  back  to  1835,  and  was  originated  by  Mr. 
C.  S.  Lewis,  of  Virginia,  who  removed  to  Ten- 
nessee, and  Mr.  John  Fuquay,  residing  in  same 
State.  They  crossed  their  packs  and  thus  orig- 
inated the  Wild  Goose  strain. 

They  introduced  also  an  infusion  of  Irish 
blood  into  the  pack,  and  later  a  cross  of  the  Eng- 
lish. In  1872,  Colonel  J.  W.  Lewis,  a  son  of 
Mrs.  C.  S.  Lewis,  took  charge  of  the  pack  and 
kept  the  strain  pure. 

The  Portsmouth  strain,  named  in  honor  of 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  the  home  of  Dr.  Heffenger, 
who  is  largely  responsible  for  it,  is  a  mixture  of 
Byron,  Buckfield,  Brooke,  Wild  Goose,  Walker, 
Robinson,  Maupin,  Williams,  July,  and  English, 
and  as  the  best  specimens  of  these  famous  strains 
were  procured,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  their 
giving  a  most  excellent  account  of  themselves, 
both  on  the  bench  and  at  the  Brunswick  field 
trials. 

The  Cook  strain,  so  extensively  advertised 
and  sold  throughout  the  country  a  few  years 
since,  was  but  a  new  and  revised  edition  of  the 
old-time  black  and  tan,  long-eared,  deep-mouthed, 
long  switch  tail,  smooth-coated,  Southern  hound, 
with  Detroit  as  a  setting.  They  were  evenly  bal- 
anced, bred  to  a  type,  and  were  very  pretty  to 
look  upon,  being  considered  wonders  by  the  old- 
time  hunters  not  yet  accustomed  to  the  new  type 


History  and  Origin.  147 

of  the  present  day.  In  fact,  I  have  heard  them 
more  universally  admired  at  bench  shows  than 
any  hounds  I  have  ever  seen  on  exhibition. 

Frequently,  while  judging  hound  classes  at 
the  larger  shows,  I  have  given  the  awards  to 
hounds  of  the  new  type,  more  especially  those 
handled  by  Ben  Lewis,  George  Thomas,  and  other 
professional  handlers,  over  the  old-timers  exhib- 
ited by  their  proud  owners.  I  always  realized 
that  while  not  deserving  it,  I  received  their  com- 
miseration for  my  ignorance  of  hounds;  in  fact, 
they  seldom  failed  to  let  me  know  it.  I  recall  one 
show  in  particular  where  I  withheld  all  awards  in 
American  hound  classes  with  seven  entries  in  the 
ring;  the  result  was  a  pretty  mess,  and  the  man- 
agement, after  unsuccessfully  insisting  upon  my 
rejudging  the  class  and  making  awards,  only  sat- 
isfied them  by  dividing  the  money  equally  among 
the  exhibitors.  Upon  my  return  home  I  sent  one 
of  their  number  a  hound  from  my  kennel,  and  in 
this  manner  only  did  I  succeed  in  impressing  upon 
them  the  true  type  of  a  modern,  up-to-date  hound. 

The  "Arkansas  Travelers,"  as  the  only  sep- 
arate strain  in  that  State  is  known,  came  from 
Missouri,  as  did  the  hounds  in  Louisiana.  The 
Missouri  hounds  were  originally  pure-bred  Ken- 
tucky hounds  taken  there  by  emigrants  from  the 
latter  State. 

The  original  Pennsylvania  hounds  were  of 
two  general  types  and  came  from  Maryland  and 


148  Horse  and  Hound. 

Virginia.  One  type,  the  long-legged,  long-eared, 
black  and  tan,  large  hound,  came  from  Virginia, 
and  the  other  black  and  white,  smaller  and  cleaner 
cut  in  appearance,  and  though  shorter  in  leg, 
faster  than  the  former,  from  Maryland. 

The  present  hound  used  by  the  hunt  clubs  is 
an  English  and  Kentucky  product,  though  occa- 
sionally the  large,  heavy,  old-time  black  and  tan 
is  still  to  be  found  in  certain  sections,  with  hardly 
speed  enough  to  keep  his  blood  in  circulation. 

There  are  many  other  strains  of  hounds 
throughout  the  country  that  have  won  both  upon 
the  bench  and  at  field  trials,  such  as  the  Good- 
man, Whitlock,  Pooler,  and  my  own  strain — 
the  Williams — but  they  are  but  descendants  of 
the  Robinson-Maupin- Walker  strain,  with  but 
little,  if  any,  crosses  of  outside  blood  in  them. 


BREEDING  AND  RAISING 
HOUNDS. 

The  English  are  without  question  the  most 
successful  breeders  in  the  world,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  horse  they  have  probably  paid 
more  attention  to  the  breeding  of  the  foxhound 
than  any  other  animal,  and  have  certainly  paid 
more  attention  to  the  breeding  of  the  hound  than 
all  other  nations  combined.  It  is  unfortunate  for 
us,  however,  their  country  and  method  of  hunting 
require  an  altogether  different  hound  than  is 
called  for  in  this  country. 

With  them,  a  hound  is  condemned  for  faults 
of  construction,  size,  and  even  markings  before 
he  has  even  had  a  trial  in  the  field,  and  after  a 
trial  in  the  field  the  hounds  are  again  culled,  or 
"drafted,"  as  they  call  it,  for  faults  that  may  in- 
terfere with  their  usefulness  (from  their  view- 
point) in  the  future.  Unfortunately  for  the  looks, 
symmetry,  and  conformation  of  our  hounds,  this 
custom  does  not  prevail  to  any  great  extent  in 
this  country  and  should  be  judiciously  encour- 
aged. I  am  afraid  we  have  adapted  the  "hand- 
some is  as  handsome  does"  policy  too  freely. 

In  the  earlier  history  of  hunting  by  hounds, 
they  had  but  the  two  classes — the  gaze  hound, 
149 


150  Horse  and  Hound, 

one  that  ran  by  sight,  represented  by  the  grey- 
hound, and  the  sleuth,  or  slow  trailing  hound, 
represented  by  the  bloodhound.  The  latter  was 
noted  for  the  melody  of  his  deep-toned  tongue 
and  his  acute  power  of  puzzling  out  and  sticking 
to  a  cold  trail,  but  he  was  too  slow  for  the  red 
whirlwind,  though  he  could  potter  all  day  on  the 
track  of  a  stag  and  finally  bring  him  to  "pot." 

His  cousin,  the  greyhound,  had  speed  to  burn, 
but  in  close  cover  and  rough  country  he  was  all 
at  sea,  and  once  out  of  sight  his  quarry  was  safe, 
so  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world 
that  the  two  should  be  crossed,  and  the  result  was 
the  foxhound. 

The  cut  of  Fag,  taken  from  the  Sporting 
Magazine,  published  in  1796,  shows  the  type  re- 
sulting from  the  cross  in  its  earlier  stages. 

The  efficiency  of  hounds  depends  entirely 
upon  the  breeding,  and  to  maintain  a  pack  or 
strain  up  to  the  required  standard  of  excellence, 
continual  selection  of  superior  animals  is  neces- 
sary. 

One  of  the  soundest  principles  of  breeding  is 
that  the  longer  certain  desirable  qualities  have 
been  handed  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, the  more  certain  you  can  count  upon  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  same.  Heredity  is  undoubtedly 
the  strongest  force  in  nature,  but  it  does  not  con- 
trol the  individual  peculiarities  of  a  sire  or  dam, 
but  where  these  characteristics  have  existed  for 


150 


Breeding  and  Raising  Hounds,      151 

several  generations  we  may  expect  many  of  them, 
and  the  further  back  they  extend  there  will  be  a 
larger  percentage,  and  they  will  also  be  more 
pronounced. 

The  science  of  breeding  is  not  by  any  means 
an  accurate  science,  and  Darwin,  in  the  "Origin 
of  Species,"  says :  "The  laws  governing  inherit- 
ance are  for  the  most  part  unknown.  No  one  can 
say  why  the  same  peculiarity  in  different  indi- 
viduals of  the  same  species  is  sometimes  inherited 
and  sometimes  not." 

Inbreeding  is  a  subject  that  has  received  more 
attention  than  any  other  one  feature  of  breeding, 
affording  constant  matter  for  controversy. 

Stonehenge  says  inbreeding  is  not  injurious  to 
the  dog,  as  has  been  proven  both  by  theory  and 
practice.  On  the  other  hand,  Darwin  says  in- 
breeding diminishes  vigor  and  fertility. 

Some  claim  that  by  inbreeding  alone  can  one 
fix  and  perpetuate  good  qualities  in  succeeding 
generations. 

My  experience  is  that  inbreeding,  when  judi- 
ciously and  not  excessively  practiced,  is  essential 
to  type  and  many  necessary  qualities  in  the  hound, 
but  if  carried  to  too  great  an  extreme,  it  unques- 
tionably stunts  growth  and  weakens  both  the  con- 
stitution and  the  intelligence.  I  have  had  this 
more  forcibly  brought  to  my  attention  in  the  per- 
sonal breeding  of  bloodhounds  and  Irish  wolf- 
hounds than  in  any  other  breed. 


152 


Horse  and  Hound. 


The  most  glaring  contradiction  of  this  rule 
is  in  the  case  of  game  chickens,  as  those  incestu- 
ously  bred  are  gamer,  stronger,  and  more  ambi- 
tious than  others. 

In  inbreeding,  the  mating  of  sire  and  dam 
with  daughter  and  son  is  unquestionably  prefer- 
able to  mating  brother  and  sister. 

Once  crossing  in  and  twice  crossing  out  is  an 
old  rule  and  a  most  excellent  one  to  observe  in 
hound  breeding;  the  antiquity  of  the  hound  with 
its  long  line  of  inbreeding  make  an  absolute  out- 
cross  (such  for  instance  as  the  greyhound),  less 
dangerous  than  would  be  the  case  in  many  mod- 
ern breeds. 

The  influence  of  such  a  cross  on  type  would 
soon  be  entirely  obliterated. 

No  true  type  can  be  maintained  by  much  out- 
cross  breeding.  True  types  have  been  made  and 
maintained  by  strictly  adhering  to  the  best  selec- 
tions of  the  same  family,  therefore  rigidly  adhere 
to  one  type,  no  matter  how  great  the  temptation 
may  be  to  do  otherwise,  or  the  ultimate  destruc- 
tion of  type  will  follow. 

Due  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  joint  selec- 
tion of  sire  and  dam,  and  the  possibilities  of  a 
good  cross  or  nick.  If  sire  and  dam  have  vigor, 
perfect  health,  and  strength,  it  is  fair  to  presume 
their  offspring,  with  proper  care  and  attention, 
will  inherit  these  same  qualities. 

There  is  absolutely  no  question  about  the  fact 


152 


Breeding  and  Raising  Hounds.      153 

of  hounds  inheriting  quaHties  of  hunting  more 
from  dam  than  sire,  while  the  quahties  of  shape, 
size,  and  conformation  come  from  the  sire. 

Many  breeders  consider  pedigree  the  only 
consideration,  paying  but  little  attention  to  indi- 
vidual excellence  or  qualities.  This  is  a  mistake. 
Symmetry  is  never  the  result  of  chance  or  luck, 
but  of  careful  forethought  and  good  judgment, 
backed  up  by  a  practical  knowledge  of  breeding. 

I  am  a  great  believer  in  breeding  to  a  type 
(provided  you  can  combine  field  qualities  at  the 
same  time) .  My  success  as  a  breeder  of  winners 
on  the  bench  in  the  foxhound  classes  is  sufficient 
proof  of  this  fact,  as  the  records  of  the  American 
Kennel  Club  will  show  that  I  have  bred  30  per 
cent  of  all  the  champions  of  record. 

It  is  a  gross  mistake  to  breed  good  and  bad 
specimens  together  simply  on  account  of  their 
pedigrees.  The  result  is  anything  but  certain,  as 
the  bad  qualities  are  as  apt  to  crop  out  in  the 
progeny  as  the  good,  if  not  in  the  first,  then  in 
some  succeeding  generation. 

A  hound  with  bad  qualities  is  more  apt  to  per- 
petuate them  in  his  progeny  than  he  is  to  throw 
back  to  better  qualities  possessed  by  his  blue- 
blooded  ancestors.  Therefore,  in  breeding  for 
any  certain  desirable  quality,  for  instance  color  or 
tongue,  do  not  fail  to  investigate  fully  all  the 
other  qualities,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  pos- 


154  Horse  and  Hound. 

sessed  by  the  sire,  as  with  the  desired  quaHties 
you  may  get  some  very  undesirable  ones. 

Hound  bitches  generally  come  in  season  when 
eight  or  nine  months  old,  especially  those  reach- 
ing this  age  in  the  spring  months.  They  should 
never  be  bred  until  the  second  heat,  which  in  this 
case  would  be  in  the  fall.  It  is  too  great  a  tax  on 
the  energies  and  system  of  the  bitch,  and  the  pups 
are  apt  to  be  weak  and  puny,  and  the  strain  may 
affect  the  constitution  of  the  bitch  through  life. 
If  one  expects  strong,  vigorous  pups  with  stamina 
and  constitution  when  they  attain  maturity,  they 
should  never  breed  to  a  bitch  under  eighteen 
months  or  over  six  years  of  age. 

Bitches  generally  come  in  heat  every  six  or 
eight  months,  and  on  an  average  three  times  in 
two  years.  They  should  be  separated  from  the 
dogs  at  the  very  first  signs  of  heat,  which  are 
generally  excessive  spirits  and  playfulness,  undue 
levity  upon  the  part  of  the  quiet,  sedate  old  lady 
being  an  infallible  sign.  The  next  stage  is  the 
swelling  of  the  parts,  followed  by  the  discharge. 

If  it  is  a  strange  bitch,  allow  her  to  become 
accustomed  to  her  new  surroundings  before  serv- 
ice. Do  not  keep  her  near  dogs ;  remember  their 
remarkable  noses  are  doubly  keen  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. Take  the  greatest  possible  precau- 
tions to  isolate  her,  then  double  your  precautions. 
There  is  not  only  a  chance  of  her  getting  out,  but 


Breeding  and  Raising  Hounds.      155 

a  greater  one  of  dogs  getting  in  to  her.  I  have 
known  of  some  remarkable  feats  by  both,  and 
have  heard  of  some  even  more  incredible  ones. 

It  is  neither  necessary  nor  wise  to  serve  a  bitch 
as  soon  as  she  is  willing  to  accept  service;  one 
week  from  first  appearance  of  discharge  is  the 
proper  time,  and  two  services,  forty-eight  hours 
apart,  are  as  good  as  a  half-dozen. 

The  period  of  actual  heat  is  about  ten  days, 
though  often  exceeded  or  decreased  in  duration. 
There  is  but  little  truth  in  the  saying  of  nine  days 
coming  in  and  nine  days  going  out. 

The  average  length  of  service  is  fifteen  min- 
utes, and  the  dog  should  be  instantly  removed, 
never  being  left  with  bitch  after  service. 

If  a  bitch  forms  a  messaliance,  a  prompt  in- 
jection of  a  weak  solution  of  bichloride  of  mer- 
cury will  have  the  desired  effect. 

Never  take  a  bitch's  word  for  it  that  her  heat 
has  passed,  but  keep  her  close  for  several  days 
after  she  has  denied  the  soft  impeachment. 

Occasionally  bitches,  though  fully  in  heat,  re- 
fuse to  accept  service;  in  a  case  of  this  kind  she 
should  be  muzzled  and  forced  to  accept,  only, 
however,  in  positive  and  unmistakable  cases. 

Excessively  fat  bitches  show  impaired  powers 
of  reproduction;  frequently  fail  to  breed,  or  will 
have  small  litters  with  sickly  and  puny  pups. 

The  best  conformation  for  a  brood  bitch  is 
one  with  wide  and  strong  loins  and  good  length 


156  Horse  and  Hound. 

of  flank.  Too  much  exercise  can  not  be  given 
during  this  period  and  hunting  should  be  kept 
up  at  least  four  weeks  after  service. 

After  the  fourth  week  regular  yard  or  road 
exercise  should  be  given,  though  care  should  be 
exercised  to  prevent  colds.  From  now  on  one 
can  not  be  too  careful  in  administering  strong 
purgative  medicines  or  applying  any  soaps, 
washes,  or  remedies  for  mange  or  vermin. 

The  period  of  gestation  is  sixty-three  days, 
and  seldom  varies  except  through  accident.  It  is 
safe  to  count  from  the  first  service,  if  performed 
in  the  latter,  rather  than  the  first,  period  of  the 
heat. 

The  bitch  will  have  a  capricious  appetite  at 
the  time  and  should  be  well  supplied  with  a 
variety  of  food. 

A  bitch's  disposition  changes  very  materially 
as  parturition  approaches,  and  the  quietest,  gen- 
tlest of  them  may  become  restless,  nervous,  and 
irritable. 

After  seeing  that  each  puppy  has  suckled  once, 
do  not  intrude  upon  her,  let  her  alone ;  she  under- 
stands the  necessities  of  the  situation  much  better 
than  you.  Feed  soft  foods  for  a  few  days,  but 
do  not  worry  about  the  amount  she  eats,  nature 
has  attended  to  that,  but  always  have  plenty  of 
cool,  clean  water  within  easy  reach. 

Later  on  the  enormous  drain  on  her  vitality 
can  be  met  with  generous  and  tempting  food. 


Breeding  and  Raising  Hounds.      157 

If  one  should  die  or  be  crushed,  remove  the 
body  at  the  first  opportunity,  as  her  incHnation 
and  instinct  to  eat  it  may  lead  to  the  eating  of  all. 
This  also  frequently  happens  when  they  are 
moved  from  place  to  place  or  disturbed  or  inter- 
fered with.  A  bitch  in  good  condition,  getting 
plenty  of  food  and  exercise,  can  raise  eight  pup- 
pies, though  I  had  a  bitch  raise  fifteen  of  her 
own  whelping. 

If  a  foster  mother  is  considered  desirable, 
make  the  exchange  gradually,  one  or  two  at  a 
time,  removing  one  of  the  foster  mother's  pups 
every  time  you  add  a  strange  one,  and  rub  some 
of  the  foster  mother's  milk  over  the  added  pup. 

Their  eyes  will  open  in  nine  days,  and  from 
three  to  four  weeks  old  they  will  lap  milk  or  soup; 
the  former  should  always  be  boiled,  thinned  with 
water,  and  a  little  sugar  added.  Later  bread 
crumbs  and  well-boiled  meat  may  also  be  added. 

They  should  be  given  a  simple  remedy  for 
worms  at  five  to  six  weeks  of  age,  as  all  pups,  no 
matter  how  or  where  raised,  are  troubled  with 
these  pests  of  puppyhood. 

Puppies  kept  clean  and  dry  more  frequently 
escape  the  terrible  ravages  of  distemper  than 
others.  Feed  them  three  or  four  times  daily  until 
six  months  of  age,  when  once  daily  (preferably 
at  night)  will  suffice. 

Avoid  giving  medicine  as  much  as  possible; 
more  hounds  die  from  the  improper  and  excess- 


158  Horse  and  Hound. 

ive  use  of  medicine  than  from  the  want  of  it. 
Give  them  access  to  grass  land  and  they  will  find 
their  own  remedies. 

Never  attempt  to  raise  hound  pups  in  a  ken- 
nel; a  kennel-raised  pup  is  absolutely  worthless. 
Adopt  the  English  custom  of  farming  them  out, 
or,  as  they  express  it,  "put  them  out  to  walk." 

Unless  the  party  taking  them  has  had  expe- 
rience in  raising  pups,  it  is  safest  to  give  them 
written  instructions,  especially  as  to  feed,  ver- 
min, worms,  and  distemper. 


TRAINING  HOUNDS. 

As  PROFICIENCY  in  Other  arts  is  only  attained 
by  close  application,  hard  study,  and  constant 
practice,  so  the  art — for  surely  it  is  an  art — of 
breaking  and  training  a  foxhound  requires  not 
only  these,  but  a  large  fund  of  love  for  and  mutual 
bond  of  sympathy  and  understanding  between 
man  and  hound.  The  trainer  having  the  requisite 
keenness  and  perseverance,  combined  with  kind- 
ness and  quick  observance  of  the  nature  and  dis- 
position of  hounds,  can  produce  surprising  re- 
sults. 

The  well-known  weakness  and  propensity  of 
a  hound  pup  for  appropriation  and  theft  is  well 
known  to  all,  and  is  a  constant  source  of  trouble 
between  him  and  the  party  to  whom  you  have 
consigned  him  during  his  puppyhood,  and  the 
consequence  is  that  he  receives  more  kicks  and 
cuffs  than  kind  words,  and  when  sent  in  to  be 
entered  to  fox,  he  considers  man  as  an  instrument 
of  torture  rather  than  as  a  friend. 

Hounds,  if  properly  treated,  are  really  capa- 
ble of  great  attachment,  seldom  appreciated  by 
man;  most  dog  fanciers  wasting  their  affection 
II  159 


i6o  Horse  and  Hound. 

upon  other  breeds  on  account  of  their  handsomer 
and  showier  appearance. 

Therefore,  the  first  thing  is  to  gain  a  hound's 
confidence  and  never  abuse  it.  I  do  not  mean 
make  a  pet  of  him;  far  from  it,  for  pets  are  al- 
ways upon  a  famihar  footing,  and  ''famiharity 
breeds  contempt." 

It  is  taken  for  granted  that  your  hounds  are 
pure-blooded  and  naturally  inherit  the  instinct  of 
hunting.  The  chances  are  that  this  instinct  has 
already  led  them  to  hunt  rabbits  upon  the  farm 
where  raised ;  if  so,  they  should  be  broken  of  this 
at  once.  One  or  two  good  floggings  adminis- 
tered while  caught  in  the  act  will  suffice. 

In  breaking  puppies  it  is  absolutely  necessar)' 
to  have  an  old,  tried,  and  true,  steady-to-work 
hound,  one  that  can  not  be  persuaded  to  run  a 
rabbit ;  in  fact,  one  that  both  you  and  the  puppies 
can  rely  upon  to  cry  nothing  but  a  fox  track.  Bad 
habits,  such  as  rabbi tting,  babbling,  back  track- 
ing, and  similar  habits  acquired  at  this  stage  are 
hard  to  eradicate  and  may  affect  the  whole  after- 
life of  a  hound. 

If  gray  foxes,  or  cubs,  can  be  found,  it  is 
better  to  commence  work  upon  them,  as  an  old 
red  is  discouraging  to  a  young  hound,  and  be- 
sides he  will  take  the  old  hound  away  from  the 
pups  and  they  can  not  see  how  a  loss  is  taken  off 
or  assist  in  recovering  the  line.  It  is  a  most 
serious  mistake  to  allow  pups  or  young  hounds  to 


MIDDLETON  O'MALLEY  KNOTT. 

M.  F.  H.  Watchung  Hunt  Club, 
New  Jersey. 


160 


Training  Hounds.  i6i 

follow  a  drag",  whether  it  be  a  carcass  or  anise- 
seed  drag,  unless,  of  course,  they  are  being- 
trained  for  drag  hunting. 

Never  hurry  or  rush  young  hounds ;  allow 
them  to  take  their  time  in  hunting  out  a  cold  or 
puzzling  trail.  There  is  less  danger  of  their  be- 
coming ''potterers"  than  of  becoming  ''rioters.'' 
I  have  noticed  that  riotous,  troublesome  young 
hounds  generally  make  the  best  ones  in  the  long 
run. 

Use  your  voice  sparingly,  and  when  a  check  is 
made  never  go  ahead  and  attempt  to  lay  them  on 
the  line;  if  they  can  not  "own  it"  by  casting,  it 
is  better  to  take  them  back  a  piece  rather  than 
to  push  them  forward,  and  never  allow  them  to 
give  up  as  long  as  one  of  them  can  speak  the  line, 
and  never,  never  leave  them  in  the  field,  no  mat- 
ter how  cold,  hungry,  tired,  or  \vet  you  may  be. 
Let  them  learn  to  rely  upon  you;  If  left  once  or 
twice  they  become  restless  when  out  of  your 
sight,  and  will  always  be  on  the  lookout  for  you 
rather  than  for  game. 

While  one  should  do  everything  possible  to 
encourage  a  young  hound,  they  should  never  be 
interfered  with  while  hunting,  and  the  horn 
should  be  used  very  sparingly,  as  should  the  whip. 
Occasionally  highly  nervous  or  excitable  pups 
need  restraint  or  correction,  but  the  voice,  if 
properly  modulated,  will  generally  have  the  de- 


1 62  Horse  and  Hound. 

sired  effect.  Hounds  will  not  readily  forget  or 
forgive  an  unjust  blow  or  kick. 

The  worst  habit  a  hound  can  acquire  is  sheep 
killing;  once  acquired,  no  earthly  power  can  break 
them  of  it.  Young  hounds  should  be  coupled  and 
frequently  taken  through  sheep  pastures,  and  if 
one  shows  any  disposition  to  run  or  attack  a 
sheep,  ride  him  down,  whip  him  thoroughly,  and 
give  him  the  impression  that  you  intend  to  kill 
him  then  and  there.  Should  he  persist  after  sev- 
eral whippings,  tie  him  with  a  short  rope  to  a 
vicious  old  ram  who  will  take  pleasure  in  crack- 
ing a  few  ribs  for  him,  and  he  will  forever  more 
lose  his  appetite  for  mutton. 

If  once  engaged  in  a  sheep-killing  scrape,  it 
is  too  late  to  attempt  any  cure ;  either  present  him 
to  a  friend  who  does  not  live  in  a  sheep  country 
or  present  the  hound  with  an  ounce  of  lead.  Once 
a  sheep-killer  they  become  very  cunning  and  may 
behave  themselves  for  months  in  day  hunting, 
only  to  renew  their  murderous  depredations  at 
night. 

A  hound's  education  is  sadly  neglected  If  he 
is  not  thoroughly  broken  to  both  horn  and  horse 
as  well  as  to  "homing."  Instinct  or  second  na- 
ture makes  the  latter  an  easy  job. 

The  hound  is  gregarious  by  nature,  preferring 
to  hunt  in  packs,  but  the  undeviating  persever- 
ance and  high  courage  of  the  American  hound 


Training  Hounds.  163 

makes  it  much  easier  to  train  him  to  hunt  alone 
than  is  possible  with  the  English  hound,  whose 
training  is  generally  collectively  in  a  pack  rather 
than  individually.  The  English  hounds  seem 
more  susceptible  to  training  or  handling,  as  is 
evidenced  by  their  behavior  and  good  manners  in 
the  kennels  and  en  route  to  and  from  covert.  I 
recall  having  seen  a  large  pack  of  hounds  handled 
in  a  theater  in  London,  taking  a  trail  through  the 
lobby,  down  the  aisle — lined  on  either  side  with 
a  screaming,  yelling  audience — through  a  pool  of 
water  and  out  the  exit.  I  ascertained  these  to  be 
a  regularly  hunted  pack  of  hounds.  While  much 
credit  for  this  was  undoubtedly  due  the  handler, 
I  am  sure  no  handler  could  so  train  a  pack  of 
American  hounds. 

It  is  a  good  idea  to  hunt  young  hounds  with 
light  leather  collars  with  your  name  plate  on 
them ;  older  hounds  can  be  branded  with  any  letter 
you  may  select,  which  will  generally  identify  them 
should  any  dispute  arise  as  to  their  ownership. 

Some  hounds  have  a  predilection  for  running 
a  dog's  track.  This  is  almost  as  bad  a  habit  as 
the  mutton  habit,  and  calls  for  equally  prompt, 
heroic,  and  energetic  treatment. 

Some  hounds  are  extremely  fond  of  the  di- 
version to  be  found  in  rabbit-hunting,  and  are  in- 
defatigable in  pursuit  of  it.  If  they  are  so  in- 
corrigible that  you  can  not  break  them  of  the 


164  Horse  and  Hound. 

habit,  dispose  of  them,  remembering  that  ''Evil 
communications  corrupt  good  manners." 

Hounds  while  in  training  should  be  fed  light 
and  drawn  fine  the  day  they  are  expected  to  hunt ; 
the  venerable  delusion  that  meat  food  affects  the 
scenting  powers  of  a  hound  has  long  since  been 
exploded,  but  any  animal's  faculties  are  impaired 
by  an  overloaded  stomach,  but  it  is  owing  more 
to  quantity  than  quality  of  food.  A  hound  di- 
gests its  food  slowly,  and  to  carry  a  stomach  full 
of  undigested  food  for  hours  with  the  body  over- 
heated will  cause  diarrhea.  Unlike  man,  diges- 
tion in  a  hound  ceases  while  taking  violent  exer- 
cise. This  fact  has  been  practically  demonstrated 
— two  hounds  were  fed  at  the  same  time ;  one  was 
then  immediately  put  into  a  chase  lasting  several 
hours,  the  other  was  chained  up  in  his  kennel. 
They  were  both  given  emetics,  and  it  was  found 
that  the  food  of  the  running  hound  was  in  the 
same  condition  as  when  eaten,  while  the  kenneled 
hound  had  digested  his  food. 

A  hound  requires  more  exercise  than  any 
other  breed  of  dogs  to  keep  them  in  a  perfect  de- 
gree of  physical  development,  and  if  they  can  not 
be  hunted  regularly,  should  be  allowed  to  follow 
a  horse  several  miles  a  day. 

If  you  overfeed  a  hound  he  will  surely  become 
fat  and  lazy,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  you  can  get 
work  enough  out  of  him  to  maintain  a  standard 


COL.  EDWARD  MORRELL. 

M.  F.  H.  Rose  Tree  Hunt  Club. 
Pennsylvania. 


164 


Training  Hounds.  165 

of  health  and  muscular  development  necessary  to 
keep  him  full  of  fox  fire  and  ambition. 

A  too  sudden  reduction  in  flesh  from  under- 
feeding may  injure  his  vitality  and  impair  his 
constitution;  surplus  flesh  should  be  worked  off 
by  degrees.  Feet  and  pads  should  be  hardened  in 
the  same  way — by  degrees. 

Babbling,  running  mute,  and  "cutting"  or 
running  cunning,  are  unquestionably  hereditary 
qualities,  and  in  breeding  great  care  should  be 
exercised  to  see  that  these  defects  are  not  com- 
bined, as  they  will  be  but  accentuated  in  the  off- 
spring. 

Hounds  should  be  broken  to  sights  of  city  or 
village,  accustomed  to  roading  in  "couples,"  and 
their  minds  disabused  of  the  idea  that  they  must 
make  the  acquaintance  of  every  cur  of  high  and 
low  degree  they  meet  on  the  road. 

If  possible,  hounds  should  not  be  kenneled, 
but  allowed  to  run  at  large ;  this,  of  course,  is  im- 
possible in  many  localities.  In  the  South  on 
large  plantations  they  are  seldom  kenneled,  with 
the  result  that  their  noses  are  moister  and  colder, 
as  can  be  demonstrated  by  placing  the  back  of 
the  hand  against  the  same.  This  means  increased 
power  of  scent,  a  hound's  nose  being  a  true  index 
to  its  condition,  and  as  trailing  qualities  depend 
exclusively  u^Don  a  sensitive  nose,  the  importance 
of  keeping  this  organ  in  condition  can  not  be 
overestimated. 


i66  Horse  mid  Hound. 

Manners  in  the  kennel  should  receive  almost 
as  much  attention  as  manners  in  the  field.  Every 
hound  should  have  a  name,  preferably  a  short 
one,  and  should  early  be  accustomed  to  its  use. 

The  cruel  practice  of  chaining  or  clogging  a 
hound  should  never  be  allowed ;  it  has  a  tendency 
to  make  a  hound  unhealthy,  unhappy,  and  in  the 
long  run  vicious.  If  in  particular  cases  it  can 
not  be  dispensed  with,  dispose  of  the  hound. 


KENNELS. 

The  question  of  kennels  is  a  more  important 
one  than  is  generally  supposed,  and  the  venerable 
saying  "anything  is  good  enough  for  a  dog," 
should  be  replaced  by  ''nothing  is  too  good  for 
a  dog." 

While  it  is  unnecessary  to  invest  large  sums 
of  money  in  kennels  to  insure  comfort  and  health 
for  the  occupants,  one  should  not  go  to  the  other 
extreme  of  overcrowding  hounds  in  unfitting 
quarters.  Cramped  quarters  and  foul  surround- 
ings will  do  more  to  unfit  hounds  for  field  work 
than  can  be  counteracted  by  all  the  skill  of  com- 
petent trainers  and  handlers. 

Supervise  your  kennels  yourself  if  you  want  it 
well  done;  if  you  want  it  half  done,  relegate  it 
to  the  best  possible  man  you  can  employ,  irre- 
spective of  cost. 

The  following  plans  not  only  insure  an  inex- 
pensive kennel,  but  also  one  best  adapted  for  the 
hound's  welfare,  both  in  and  out  of  season.  If 
it  is  desired,  one  can  substitute  brick  and  stone  for 
the  wooden  structure,  but  the  only  advantage  it 
will  possess  will  be  in  looks  and  durability. 

The  first  and  most  important  consideration 
167 


1 68  Horse  and  Hound. 

should  be  the  location.  Where  possible  it  should 
be  high  and  gently  sloping  in  every  direction,  so 
that  during  the  rainy  season  pools  and  puddles 
can  not  form  in  the  yards  or  runs,  and  in  a  down- 
pour the  ground  can  be  washed  and  the  surface 
water  drained  off  promptly — the  soil  should  be 
dry  and  light,  and  free  from  clay. 

The  plans  illustrated  provide  kennels  and 
grounds  for  tw^enty  couples;  the  size  of  the  runs, 
yards,  and  grounds  can  be  regulated  by  the 
amount  of  land  at  one's  disposal,  the  larger  in 
area  the  better.  The  minimum  should  be  one 
acre.  The  outer  fencing  should  be  of  nine-inch 
cedar  posts,  set  three  feet  in  the  ground.  A 
trench  two  feet  deep  should  then  be  dug,  and  a 
twenty-four-inch  heavy  two-inch  mesh  galvan- 
ized wire  netting  stretched  from  post  to  post  be- 
neath the  surface.  Fill  the  trench,  tamping  the 
dirt  compactly.  This  will  Insure  against  any 
hounds  digging  out. 

Three-inch  strips,  eight  feet  long,  of  rough 
oak  fencing,  securely  nailed  on  the  outside  of 
the  stringers,  with  two-inch  spaces  between,  will 
forever  prevent  scaling  or  gnawing  out.  Should 
any  portion  of  the  outside  fence  lie  upon  or  near 
a  public  passway,  it  should  be  boarded  up  solid 
with  ordinary  fencing  plank,  care  being  taken  to 
stop  up  all  cracks  or  knot-holes,  all  such  being  a 
fruitful  source  of  noise  in  a  kennel.  The  same 
instructions  should  be  observed  in  erecting  the 


Plan  of  Kennels. 


Kennels.  1 69 

division  fences  on  the  pack  side  of  the  kennels, 
except  that  the  three-inch  strips  need  only  be 
five  feet  long,  placed  three  inches  apart,  with  a 
two-foot  galvanized  wire  netting  stretched  along 
the  top  as  well  as  beneath  the  surface.  This  will 
allow  more  sunlight  and  breeze.  The  division 
fences  on  the  breeding,  hospital,  and  puppy  sides 
should  all  have  solid  fences  four  feet  high  with 
three-foot  wire  netting  along  the  top,  and  two- 
foot  wire  in  the  trenches.  Gateways  throughout 
should  have  automatic  catches  in  addition  to  a 
simple  slide  or  bar  on  each,  and  should  be  wide 
enough  to  admit  a  wheelbarrows 

The  dimensions  given  on  the  plan  of  kennels 
are  the  minimum  and  can  be  increased  as  desired, 
but  should  never  be  diminished.  The  foundation 
should  be  of  brick  and  the  floor  at  least  thirty 
inches  from  the  ground.  The  space  beneath  the 
floor  can  be  partitioned  off  with  plan  the  same 
as  the  floor  plan,  with  a  ten  by  twenty  slide  door, 
opening  into  each  yard  or  run.  A  piece  of  carpet 
hanging  over  this  opening  will  admit  the  hounds, 
yet  darken  the  place  sufficiently  to  keep  out  the 
flies  and  heat.  A  twenty-four  by  twenty-four 
trap-door  on  hinges  should  be  placed  in  the  floor 
of  each  compartment.  This  makes  an  admirable 
retreat  for  the  hounds  from  the  heat  and  flies,  the 
latter  being  the  curse  of  all  kenneled  hounds. 

A  light  bed  of  pine  shavings  on  the  bare 
ground  under  the  floor,  with  an  occasional  sprink- 


170  Horse  and  Hound, 

ling  of  turpentine,  will  keep  all  flies  and  vermin 
away,  and  should  not  be  overlooked,  else  the  en- 
tire kennels  will  become  infested  with  these  pests. 

The  flooring  should  be  double,  with  a  layer  of 
good  roofing  paper  between,  the  top  floor  being- 
matched.  Brick  and  asphalt  floors  should  never 
be  used;  concrete  is  the  best  of  such  floors,  but 
do  not  advise  its  use.  It  is  more  or  less  conducive 
to  kennel  lameness,  which  is  simply  a  form  of 
rheumatism.  In  mild  climates  the  siding  may 
be  of  boxing,  well  stripped,  but  in  colder  climates 
it  should  be  plastered,  or  have  the  addition  of  a 
good  building  paper,  or  better  still,  some  of  the 
many  eel  grass  papers  that  are  both  germ,  fire, 
and  weather  proof.  The  roof  should  be  covered 
with  eel  grass  paper  on  the  sheathing,  then 
shingled.  Under  no  circumstances  should  a  metal 
roof  be  used.  They  are  cold  in  winter,  and  in- 
tensely hot  in  summer,  and  have  nothing  but  their 
price  to  recommend  them. 

Each  compartment  should  have  a  narrow  door 
with  latch  on  the  outside,  a  sliding  door  twelve  by 
eighteen,  six  inches  from  the  floor,  a  sliding  win- 
dow and  wire  screen  opening  into  the  rear  com- 
partments, placed  six  feet  from  the  floor;  an  ad- 
justable ventilator  arranged  to  throw  the  draft 
against  the  ceiling  when  open. 

A  portable  sleeping  bench,  with  twelve-inch 
solid  back  and  four-inch  rail  around  sides  and 
front,  with  short  legs  six  inches  high  which  will 


Kennels.  \*]\ 

prevent  crawling  underneath.  This  style  bench 
can  be  taken  out,  scrubbed,  dried,  and  ventilated, 
a  most  important  consideration. 

The  cook  room  should  have  a  small,  upright, 
single  flue,  four-horse-power  boiler  for  generat- 
ing steam,  connected  to  a  steam  jacketed  kettle 
holding  sixty  gallons.  This  is  a  far  better  way 
of  cooking  food  than  the  direct-fire  furnaces  and 
kettle,  the  food  can  not  be  scorched,  and  can  be 
more  thoroughly,  evenly,  and  quickly  cooked. 

Many  think  that  any  kind  of  food  is  good 
enough  for  a  hound;  such  men  should  never  be 
blessed  with  the  ownership  of  a  hound.  Nothing 
is  too  good  for  a  hound,  either  in  food,  quarters, 
or  treatment.  A  change  of  food  is  the  founda- 
tion of  health  in  hounds,  and  the  sooner  this  fact 
is  recognized  by  all  successful  managers  of 
hounds,  the  better. 

I  have  owned  a  pack  of  hounds  for  a  quarter 
of  a  centur}^  and  have  yet  to  feed  them  the  car- 
cass of  any  animal.  In  winter  they  are  fed  one- 
third  cornmeal  (unbolted),  one-third  hog  crack- 
lings, and  one-third  wheat  bran.  These  are  first 
thoroughly  boiled  in  a  steam  kettle,  then  baked 
hard  and  brown  in  a  regular  brick  oven.  In  sum- 
mer the  cornmeal  is  too  heating,  and  has  a  tend- 
ency to  cause  mange,  blotch,  and  eczema,  and 
oatmeal  is  substituted  for  the  cornmeal,  with  a 
few  tablesixx)nfuls  of  hyposulphite  of  soda  added 
for  every  fifteen  couples.     The  food  is  baked  as 


172  Horse  and  Hound. 

hard  as  possible,  thus  forcing  them  to  chew  it  up, 
thereby  causing  a  flow  from  the  saHvary  glands 
which  aids  digestion. 

The  constant  feeding  of  soft,  sloppy,  starchy 
foods,  while  fattening,  leaves  the  hounds  soft  and 
flabby,  and  has  a  tendency  to  produce  eczema  and 
aggravate  mange.  By  baking  hard  and  brown, 
the  hound  can  not  bolt  it,  requiring  crunching  and 
necessarily  better  mastication.  It  also  keeps  the 
teeth  clean  and  firm,  a  soft  food- fed  hound  of  two 
years  frequently  having  the  mouth  and  teeth  of 
a  four  or  five  year  old  hound. 

The  storeroom  can  be  used  for  storage  of 
raw  and  cooked  food,  straw,  brooms,  mops, 
shovels,  etc.,  and  should  have  a  good-sized  closet 
for  the  kennelman's  individual  use,  as  well  as  a 
well-arranged  medicine  chest. 

All  four  sides  of  the  kennel  should  have  a 
covered  porch  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  upon 
which  should  be  located  the  gates  connecting  the 
different  yards,  and  upon  which  the  hounds  could 
lie  during  wet  and  rainy  weather. 

If  the  weather  is  cold  enough  to  require  heat- 
ing the  kennels,  which  is  seldom,  if  ever,  the  case, 
a  coil  of  steam  pipe  can  be  run  through  the  com- 
partments, connected  to  and  returning  the  con- 
densation to  the  boiler.  Individual  whelping 
boxes  should  be  placed  in  the  breeding  yard. 
They  should  be  thirty  inches  high  at  back,  and 
forty-two  inches  in  front,  forty-eight  by  forty- 


R.  E.  LEE. 

Alabarr.a. 


172 


Kennels.  173 

eight  in  the  clear,  roof  covered  with  water-proof 
paper,  and  hinged  so  as  to  Hft  entire  roof  easily, 
the  hinges  being  in  front. 

The  opening  in  front,  at  either  side,  should 
be  small,  ten  by  eighteen,  and  closed  by  hanging 
carpet,  ventilation  being  secured  by  raising  the 
hinged  roof  the  desired  height  from  the  floor. 

A  shelf  six  inches  wide,  four  inches  from  the 
floor,  should  extend  all  around  four  sides,  thus 
preventing  lying  upon  the  pups  when  young,  or 
crowding  them  into  a  corner,  a  practice  very 
common  with  hound  bitches,  and  the  means  of 
killing  a  large  percentage  of  pups.  These  whelp- 
ing boxes  should  be  made  portable  and  raised  six 
inches  from  the  ground  upon  strong  legs.  The 
boxes  should  be  placed  far  apart,  and  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  kennels.  Straw  is  the  best  bed- 
ding, and  should  be  renewed  as  soon  as  sure  the 
bitch  is  through  whelping. 

A  bitch  that  is  known  to  be  rough  and  care- 
less towards  her  pups  should  not  be  given  a 
whelping  box.  A  small  house  with  a  dry  dirt 
floor  is  best.  In  this,  hollow  out  a  nest  several 
days  in  advance  that  she  may  become  accustomed 
to  it. 

The  circular  form  of  nest  will  prevent  her 
lying  or  stepping  upon  the  pups  as  they  will  al- 
ways gravitate  toward  the  center.  The  antiseptic 
qualities  of  the  dry  earth  are  too  well  known  to 
need  comment. 


174  Horse  and  Hound. 

Boxes,  similar  to  the  whelping  boxes,  minus 
the  shelf,  can  be  used  to  great  advantage  in  the 
puppy  yard,  and  should  be  whitewashed  inside 
and  out  every  fortnight — the  wash  containing  a 
powerful  disinfectant.  Urinal  posts  of  four  by 
four  oak,  set  at  intervals  about  the  yards,  will  be 
patronized  to  the  extent  of  saving  the  white- 
washed fences.  The  habit  can  be  cultivated  by 
placing  a  few  drops  of  oil  of  anise  seed  occa- 
sionally upon  the  posts. 

It  is  an  excellent  idea  to  have  a  hay-rick  frame 
containing  straw  placed  in  the  larger  yards.  The 
hounds  will  enjoy  it  thoroughly  if  placed  at  a 
height  they  can  jump  upon  and  romp  about  on. 
On  cold  days  they  will  lie  upon  it  sunning  them- 
selves, and  in  the  hot  weather  will  seek  its  shade. 
The  straw  will  have  to  be  renewed  but  seldom. 

If  in  a  warm  climate  a  trench  three  feet  wide, 
two  feet  deep,  and  ten  feet  long,  boarded  over, 
covered  with  dirt  and  left  open  at  one  end,  will 
be  much  patronized  and  appreciated  by  hounds  in 
the  summer  months.  They  should  be  closed  in 
winter. 

Theoretical  hunters  and  breeders  may  smile 
at  the  crudeness  of  the  trench  and  straw-rick  ar- 
rangements for  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  the 
hounds,  but  if  they  will  try  them  they  will  readily 
see  the  advantages  they  possess. 

Frequently  a  hound  will  be  found  in  a  kennel, 
that  can  not,  through  temper  or  other  bad  habits. 


Kennels,  175 

be  allowed  the  liberty  of  the  yards.  Such  hounds 
should  never  be  chained,  a  wire  stretched  from 
posts,  say  a  hundred  feet  apart,  with  ring  and 
chain  suspended  from  same,  can  be  utilized.  A 
small  sleeping  box  can  be  arranged  at  the  end  of 
the  run. 

In  summer  and  warm  w^eather  no  bedding  is 
necessary,  but  in  winter  a  liberal  supply  of  straw 
should  be  furnished  and  changed  tw^ice  a  week. 
Neither  shavings  nor  sawdust  should  be  used,  both 
being  bad  for  the  throat  and  lungs. 

The  strictest  attention  to  cleanliness  and  sani- 
tary conditions  in  a  kennel  alone  will  insure 
sound  healthy  animals,  capable  of  sustaining  the 
hard  w^ork  hounds  are  called  upon  to  perform 
during  the  hunting  season.  No  matter  how  much 
confidence  one  has  in  the  ability  and  faithfulness 
of  an  attendant,  constant  vigilance  should  never 
be  relaxed  by  the  master  in  supervising  these 
details. 

The  constant  use  of  powerful  disinfectants  is 
highly  necessary  in  every  kennel.  Solutions  of 
carbolic  acid,  bichloride  of  mercury,  sulphate  of 
copper,  or  chloride  of  lime  can  be  had  of  any 
druggist ;  and  walls,  floors,  and  fencing  should  be 
sprayed  or  sprinkled  twice  a  month  in  summer, 
and  once  a  month  in  winter.  Many  disinfecting 
preparations  on  the  market  are  equally  as  effect- 
ive, and  more  convenient  on  account  of  manner 
in  which  they  are  put  up. 


176  Horse  and  Hound. 

If  the  yards  and  runs  are  small  and  over- 
crowded, twice  a  year  the  yards  should  be  well 
sprinkled  with  lime  and  plowed  up  or  spaded  over, 
and  where  possible  covered  to  the  depth  of  two 
inches  with  fresh  earth  or  soil.  Neglect  of  this 
precaution  will  cause  sore  and  tender  feet,  and  a 
master  or  huntsman  well  knows  what  this  afflic- 
tion means  in  a  pack. 

Where  practicable,  running  water  should  be 
had  in  every  yard;  unfortunately,  this  is  seldom 
the  case.  A  most  excellent  water  trough  can  be 
made  from  galvanized  iron  range  boilers,  by  cut- 
ting a  four  by  ten  hole  along  the  side,  and  bury- 
ing the  boiler  upon  its  side,  allowing  the  hole  to 
be  flush  with  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It  can 
be  filled  either  by  hand  or  pipe  connection.  It 
will  hold  about  thirty  gallons  of  water,  and  the 
earth  will  keep  it  at  a  proper  temperature,  and  the 
small  opening  will  prevent  the  hounds  from  soil- 
ing the  water.  By  placing  half  of  the  boiler  in 
either  yard  beneath  the  division  fence  and  mak- 
ing an  opening  upon  each  side  of  the  fence,  the 
one  trough  will  serve  for  both  yards. 

Bins  or  boxes  should  be  placed  in  each  yard 
to  receive  the  manure,  which  should  be  collected 
daily.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  this  is  a 
salable  commodity,  and  when  properly  collected 
and  disposed  of  to  leather-dressers  will  almost 
pay  the  feed  bill  of  the  hounds.  I  have  alw^ays 
found  it  a  most  excellent  plan  to  make  this  one 


W.  J.   MORTON. 
Texas. 


176 


Kennels.  177 

of  the  perquisites  of  the  attendant,  thus  insur- 
ing cleaner  yards  than  could  be  had  under  the  or- 
dinary conditions  of  having  it  hauled  away. 

Hounds  should  seldom,  except  in  the  most  in- 
clement weather,  be  allowed  to  occupy  their  sleep- 
ing quarters  during  the  day,  the  doors  remaining 
closed  until  sundown. 

Kennel-kept  hounds  have  none  of  the  pleas- 
ures and  liberties  of  ordinary  dogs,  and  the  oc- 
casional change  from  one  yard  to  another  will  do 
them  good  and  relieve  the  monotony  of  kennel 
life  to  some  extent. 

Kenneled  hounds  can  never  get  too  much  ex- 
ercise, either  during  or  out  of  season.  No  amount 
of  feeding  and  attention  can  adequately  supply 
the  want  of  unlimited  exercise. 

Regularity  and  system  should  prevail  in  the 
conduct  of  the  kennel,  having  certain  stated  hours 
for  feeding,  exercise,  and  grooming. 

Hydrophobia  is  generally  supposed  to  affect 
hounds  more  frequently  than  any  other  breed; 
this  is  not  a  fact.  Hydrophobia  is  extremely  rare 
in  any  breed,  in  fact  reputable  writers  declare 
there  is  no  such  disease,  claiming  it  to  be  one  of 
imagination  only.  Occasionally  a  case  may  oc- 
cur in  a  hound,  which  will  communicate  it  to  a 
whole  pack,  all  of  whom  may  have  to  be  de- 
stroyed, whereas  a  dog  of  another  breed  having  it 
would  be  detected  and  destroyed  before  he  would 
have  any  opportunity  of  communicating  it  to  but 
few  others. 


178  Horse  and  Hound. 

When  hounds  do  have  hydrophobia  it  is  most 
frequently  in  the  form  of  dumb  rabies  and  not 
the  violent  maniacal  form  that  causes  them  to 
"run  amuck."    Ashmout  says: 

"The  dumb,  or  sullen  form  of  rabies  is  a 
peculiar  type  of  hydrophobia  without  the  violent 
or  irritative  stage.  There  is  decidedly  less  ex- 
citation of  the  brain ;  the  violent  paroxysms,  the 
constant  motion,  the  disposition  to  bite,  and  the 
propensity  to  stray  are  all  absent,  or  present  in 
only  a  slight  degree,  and  the  animal  is  quiet, 
silent,  and  dejected.  Paralysis  of  the  muscles  of 
the  lower  jaw  is  a  characteristic  symptom  of  this 
form  of  the  malady,  and  manifests  itself  early  in 
the  attack.  The  jaw  drops  and  the  mouth  re- 
mains constantly  open.  In  rare  cases  a  partial 
control  of  the  muscles  is  retained  for  a  time,  suffi- 
cient to  lift  the  jaw,  and  possibly  allow  the  ani- 
mal to  bite  if  sufficiently  irritated.  Rarely  more 
than  a  few  hours,  possibly  three  or  four,  elapse 
before  the  disease  manifests  itself.  Before  this 
paralysis  appears  there  is  great  difficulty  in  swal- 
lowing, and  the  poor  dog  will  plunge  his  muzzle 
into  water  up  to  his  very  eyes,  in  order  that  he 
may  get  one  drop  of  water  into  the  back  part  of 
his  mouth  to  cool  his  parched  throat.  In  this  form 
of  rabies  the  flow  of  mucus  and  saliva  is  abundant, 
the  same  dripping  from  the  open  mouth.  The 
voice,  changed  and  of  a  hoarse  tone,  is  seldom 
heard,  and  that  peculiar  combination  of  bark  and 


Kennels.  1 79 

howl,  characteristic  of  the  violent  form  of  the  dis- 
ease, is  entirely  absent." 

I  give  this  description  of  dumb  rabies  in  full 
to  enable  the  reader  to  detect  the  difference  be- 
tween it  and  a  peculiar  disease  that  hounds,  espe- 
cially in  the  South,  are  frequently  afflicted  with. 
Though  I  have  read  all  the  best  works  on  the  dis- 
eases of  the  dog,  published  both  in  this  country 
and  in  England,  I  have  never  seen  it  mentioned. 
It  does  not  seem  to  have  come  under  the  obser- 
vation of  canine  specialists.  It  is  called  "'black 
tongue,"  is  generally  fatal,  and  is  contagious. 
The  symptoms  are  almost  identical  with  those  of 
dumb  rabies,  with  the  exception  that  the  tongue 
turns  black  and  the  mucous  membrane  linings  of 
the  throat  are  sore  and  inflamed.  It  is  only  re- 
cently that  a  remedy  has  been  found,  all  cases 
formerly  resisting  treatment  and  proving  fatal. 
I  have  known  whole  packs  to  be  killed  with  it. 

The  remedy  and  treatment  is  as  follows : 
Paint  the  inside  of  the  lips  and  tongue  with  tinc- 
ture of  bloodroot  once  a  day,  and  give  a  tablet 
of  one-fiftieth  of  a  grain  of  bichloride  of  mer- 
cury three  times  a  day.  Keep  the  hound  on  a 
milk  diet  until  cured,  and  on  soft  foods  for  some 
time,  gradually  returning  to  solids.  If  hound  will 
not  drink  milk  freely,  add  a  little  braiidy  and 
beaten  eggs  to  milk,  and  pour  a  few  spoonsful 
down  the  throat  every  few  hours. 

I  have  yet  to  see  the  attendant  who  could 


i8o  Horse  and  Hound. 

keep  his  kenneled  pack  free  of  mange  and  ver- 
min, without  dipping.  Where  a  pack  consists  of 
twenty  or  thirty  couples,  dipping,  unless  one  is 
prepared  for  it,  is  quite  an  undertaking.  The 
simplest  apparatus  to  be  used  effectively,  is  made 
as  follows:  Construct  a  galvanized  iron  tank 
forty-two  inches  long,  fifteen  inches  wide,  and 
twenty-eight  inches  deep.  Make  a  light  slatted 
crate  thirty-eight  inches  long,  twelve  inches  wide, 
and  twenty-six  inches  deep  at  one  end  and  fifteen 
inches  deep  at  the  other,  with  a  slatted  top  fitted 
with  hinges,  each  end  being  solid.  Fasten  hinges 
at  the  lower  end ;  at  the  upper  end  saw  out  a  half 
round  hole  five  inches  in  diameter,  through  which 
the  hound  can  stick  his  head  while  in  a  seated 
position. 

Fill  the  tank  twenty  inches  deep  with  a  solu- 
tion of  fifty  parts  tepid  water  to  one  part  sheep 
dip,  sanitas,  phenyle,  chloro-naptholeum.  West's 
or  any  of  the  many  disinfecting  fluids — not  con- 
taining carbolic  acid — which  are  commonly  ad- 
vertised. After  placing  hound  securely  in  crate, 
immerse  him,  all  but  head,  for  two  minutes,  being 
careful  of  eyes.  Twenty  couples  can  thus  be 
dipped  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  without  any 
struggling,  splashing,  or  confusion.  Dip  them 
every  fortnight  and  your  pack  will  always  be 
clear  of  mange,  skin  diseases,  and  vermin. 

Every  hound  should  be  carefully  examined 
daily,  by  the  hand  as  well  as  by  the  eye.     The 


REDMOND  C.  STEWART. 


M    F.  H.  Green  Spring  Valley  Hunt  Club, 
Maryland. 


Kennels.  i8i 

general  condition  of  the  body  can  be  noted  at  a 
glance  by  one  accustomed  to  it,  but  many  minor 
troubles  can  be  brought  to  sight  by  the  hand. 
After  each  run  a  careful  examination  should  be 
made  of  every  hound  participating  in  the  run. 
Holding  hound  with  one  hand  by  the  muzzle,  ex- 
amine eyes,  feel  ears,  place  back  of  hand  to  nose, 
run  the  hand  down  each  leg,  squeezing  the  foot, 
and  examining  pads  and  stoppers.  Remove 
thorns  or  foreign  substances  which  are  likely  to 
set  up  inflammation,  and  incapacitate  hound  from 
next  hunt.  Look  for  barb  wire  cuts,  wood  ticks, 
burs,  and  feel  texture  of  coat  and  general  condi- 
tion of  body. 

In  handling  strange  hounds,  attract  their  at- 
tention and  look  them  straight  in  the  eye.  When 
irritated  or  angry,  the  pupil  invariably  dilates. 
Advance  the  back  of  the  hand  and  let  the  hound 
smell  of  it  before  taking  hold  of  him;  do  not 
either  withdraw  the  hand  or  take  hold  of  him 
suddenly.  If  he  has  a  vicious  or  surly  disposi- 
tion, remember  kindness  and  consideration,  by 
appealing  to  his  sympathetic  nature,  will  accom- 
plish more  than  force. 

If  necessary  to  mark  hounds  for  purposes  of 
identification,  I  consider  the  best  plan  is  to  brand 
them.  This  should  be  done  on  the  foreshoulder, 
the  brand  made  of  quarter-inch  iron,  the  brand- 
ing surface  dressed  down  to  one-eighth.  The 
letters  should  be  two  and  a  quarter  inches  long 


1 82  Horse  and  Hound. 

of  corresponding  width.  The  following  letters 
make  the  plainest  brand,  XVUTOHJES, 
and  should  be  formed  perfectly  plain.  It  requires 
three  persons  to  do  the  work  quickly  and  cor- 
rectly, one  to  hold  the  head  and  forelegs,  and 
one  the  hind  quarters  and  body.  Care  should  be 
taken  not  to  draw  the  skin  from  its  natural  place. 
It  is  best  to  first  remove  the  hair  with  shears. 
The  third  person  handles  the  iron,  which  should 
be  heated  to  a  cherry  red,  and  pressed  until  the 
flesh  is  scorched,  the  hound  being  released  im- 
mediately. 

There  is  no  danger  of  his  biting  any  one  after 
the  brand  has  been  applied.  He  will  howl  a  few 
times,  but  the  pain  will  be  over  in  a  few  minutes. 
The  place  should  be  greased  or  oiled  daily  until 
well.  Should  the  burn  be  too  deep  and  fester,  it 
should  be  washed  with  a  soft  sponge,  removing 
the  scab  and  applying  carbolic  vaseline.  There  is 
less  cruelty  in  the  operation  than  one  would  sup- 
pose, much  less  than  in  rounding  the  ears,  or 
docking  the  tail. 

If  one's  hounds  are  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity, and  good  homers,  it  may  not  be  neces- 
sary to  brand  them.  When  hunting  with  the  pack 
in  a  strange  country,  they  may  be  temporarily 
marked  upon  the  sides  with  paint  or  dye,  as  in 
field  trials. 

Occasionally  a  hound  will  be  found  that  no 
amount  of  treatment,  exercise,  or  food  will  put 


Kennels.  183 

in  good  condition.  If  demonstrated  by  treatment 
that  he  is  not  suffering  from  tapeworm,  he 
should  be  farmed  out,  sent  to  the  country,  where 
he  may  roam  at  will.  A  few  weeks'  recreation 
will  make  a  new  hound  of  him.  If  such  is  not  the 
result,  dispose  of  him. 

Preparing  a  hound  for  the  bench  show  re- 
quires a  lot  of  work  and  patience.  It  also  re- 
quires a  subject  with  good  amiable  disposition 
that  does  not  object  to  handling.  The  points  for 
judging  a  hound,  given  elsewhere,  should  be 
carefully  studied  before  making  selection  from 
the  pack.  He  should  be  well  and  carefully  broken 
to  the  chain  and  collar,  to  lead  lightly,  and  carry 
a  gay  stern,  to  stand  in  any  position  his  legs  may 
be  placed,  and  to  trot  after  his  leader.  While 
his  exercise  should  not  be  cut  down,  he  should 
be  given  more  flesh  than  when  in  running  condi- 
tion, yet  at  the  same  time  his  muscles  should  be 
just  as  hard  and  firm.  This  can  be  accomplished 
by  feeding  lean  meats,  eggs,  and  milk,  and  by  a 
prodigious  amount  of  hand  and  brush  rubbing,  or 
massage.  He  should  be  accustomed  to  strangers 
and  strange  sights,  and  by  the  time  you  have  him 
in  condition  to  win,  you  will  doubtless  have 
ruined  a  good  hound  for  field  work. 

Individual  hounds  should  be  taken  or  sent  to 
a  bench  show  in  a  crate.  This  should  have  solid 
bottoms  and  ends,  with  hinged  door.  The  sides 
and  top  should  be  slatted  with  good  spaces  be- 


184  Horse  and  Hound. 

tween,  as  many  dogs  en  route  to  the  shows  are  an- 
nually smothered  in  hot  express  cars  by  having 
merchandise  thrown  upon  and  around  the  crate 
The  sides  should  be  solid  for  a  space  of  six  inches 
at  the  bottom  to  prevent  the  straw  from  falling 
out. 

Never  send  hounds  to  a  show  without  a  hand- 
ler. The  fair  promises  of  the  management  to 
have  your  entries  properly  cared  for,  and  exhib- 
ited, are  forgotten  as  soon  as  the  many  duties  of 
the  show  devolve  upon  them,  and  they  are  lucky 
indeed  if  taken  from  the  bench,  except  while  in 
the  show  ring. 

Unless  preparing  for  bench  shows,  hounds 
should  seldom,  if  ever,  have  a  w^ashing  with  soap, 
and  then  only  in  tepid,  never  in  warm,  water.  A 
warm  bath  has  sealed  the  doom  of  many  a  good 
hound.  The  ears  should  be  washed  as  should 
their  feet,  but  elbow^  grease  and  a  brush  for  the 
body  will  do  more  good  than  all  the  soaps  and 
water  combined.  In  hot  climates,  like  Cuba  and 
the  South,  a  good  drenching  about  noon  with  the 
hose  will  do  them  good,  though  adding  nothing 
to  their  appearance,  for  they  are  sure  to  wallow 
in  the  dirt  immediately  afterward. 

Hounds  being  kept  in  large  numbers  together 
are  naturally  greater  sufferers  from  contagious 
diseases  than  other  breeds  of  dogs,  and  mange  is 
the  curse  of  the  majority  of  the  packs.  While 
true  that  mange  is  dependent  upon  contagion, 


DR.  A.   C.   HEFFENGER. 

M.  F.  H.  Portsmouth  Hunt  Club, 
New  Hampshire. 


184 


Kennels.  185 

there  are  several  forms  of  this  loathsome  disease 
that  arise  from  the  keep,  lack  of  exercise,  im- 
proper food,  and  bedding. 

Most  of  the  patent  preparations  advertised 
will  effect  a  cure,  whether  of  sarcoptic  or  follicu- 
lar form,  but  they  are  generally  expensive  and 
hard  to  apply.  The  following  remedy  is  a  cer- 
tain cure,  can  be  prepared  by  any  attendant,  and 
is  inexpensive:  One  pound  of  slaked  lime  to  two 
pounds  of  powdered  sulphur  in  two  gallons  of 
water,  boil  down  to  one  gallon,  add  enough  water 
to  this  liquid  to  make  five  quarts,  and  rub  the 
hound  thoroughly  with  it  twice,  three  days  apart. 
If  the  case  has  advanced  to  the  stage  of  a  con- 
siderable loss  of  hair,  also  apply  a  dressing  of  fish- 
oil  and  sulphur  twice,  three  days  apart,  and  the 
coat  will  be  restored.  Mange  can  be  cured  with 
one  pound  of  sulphur,  one  quart  of  fish-oil,  two 
ounces  each  of  oil  or  tar  and  turps,  and  should  be 
tried  before  using  harsher  remedies. 

This  may  seem  a  rather  simple  treatment  for 
a  disease  which  canine  pathologists  and  veteri- 
narians exhaust  volumes  upon,  but  it  is  based 
entirely  upon  practice  and  not  theory,  and  fully 
covers  the  subject,  as  a  trial  will  demonstrate. 

Eczema — frequently  mistaken  for  mange — is, 
however,  entirely  different  from  mange,  and  can 
only  be  cured  by  constitutional  treatment  requir- 
ing time  and  patience.  For  several  years  my  dif- 
ferent kennelmen   were  constantly  treating  the 


1 86  Horse  and  Hound. 

hounds  for  mange,  and  only  after  employing  the 
was  eczema.  It  is  non-contagious,  is  an  individ- 
ual disease,  and  is  never  transmitted.  It  is  caused 
by  lack  of  exercise,  constipation,  overfeeding,  in- 
jurious foods,  and  indigestion,  few  packs  being 
exempt  from  it. 

In  a  majority  of  cases  of  eczema  in  hounds  it 
is  caused  from  the  continued  use  of  starchy  foods, 
while  mange  is  aggravated  by  feeding  too  much 
flesh.  Therefore,  in  either  case,  the  first  step  is 
to  change  the  food.  If  this  can  not  be  accom- 
plished, add  ten  grains  of  hyposulphite  of  soda 
for  each  hound  in  the  kennel,  in  cooking  the  food, 
elsewhere  advocated.  If  for  individual  cases, 
Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic  will  effect  a  cure,  by 
giving  six  drops,  twice  a  day,  increasing  the  dose 
two  drops  daily  until  thirty  drops  are  being  given, 
then  decrease  the  dose  in  same  manner  down  to 
the  original  dose  of  six  drops.  The  irritating 
ointments  and  mange  cures  should  be  avoided 
entirely,  being  worse  than  useless.  The  following- 
lotion  is  both  cooling  and  healing,  and  should  be 
applied  twice  daily:  To  the  sore  and  inflamed 
parts,  four  drams  Goulard's  Extract  Lead  and 
four  drams  Laudanum  to  a  pint  of  water. 

The  earliest  symptom  of  eczema  is  an  itch- 
ing, the  hound  scratching  himself  upon  every 
possible  occasion.  Upon  examination  a  redness 
and  thickness  of  the  skin  will  be  noticed ;  no  sores 
are  visible  as  in  mange.     The  second  stage  can 


Kennels,  187 

not  be  mistaken.  Small  vesicles  form,  filled  with 
pus,  which,  on  breaking  out,  mat  the  hairs  to- 
gether, causing  it  to  fall  out  and  leave  a  spot  with 
a  wet,  inflamed,  exuding  surface. 

As  compared  w^ith  mange,  eczema  is  a  stub- 
born disease,  hard  to  cure,  and  should  never  be 
neglected,  but  treated  in  its  first  stage.  If  unable 
to  diagnose  the  two,  a  powerful  microscope  will 
soon  set  your  doubts  at  rest,  as  the  parasite  al- 
w^ays  present  in  mange  does  not  appear  in  ec- 
zema. 

Vermin  often  are  very  troublesome  to  hounds 
and  whole  packs  of  hounds  are  made  miserable 
by  the  presence  of  these  pests,  through  the  ig- 
norance of  the  attendant  in  not  knowing  how  to 
dispose  of  them.  There  is  absolutely  no  excuse 
for  this,  the  dipping  of  hounds,  recommended, 
will  kill  all  upon  their  bodies,  and  if  the  floors  and 
walls  of  the  kennels  are  sprinkled  with  a  little 
turpentine,  or  what  is  left  of  the  dip,  it  will  be 
found  sufficiently  potent  to  exterminate  or  drive 
them  away,  and  a  flea  will  never  be  found  on  the 
premises. 

In  cold  weather,  when  not  convenient  to  dip 
and  to  sprinkle  the  kennels,  spirits  of  turpentine 
freely  sprinkled  around  the  kennels,  and  a  little 
dry  powdered  camphor  rubbed  well  into  the  coats 
of  the  hounds,  will  eradicate  the  nuisance. 

Medicine  should  be  administered  with  great 
caution,  and  used  sparingly. 


1 88  Horse  and  Hound. 

Dogs  are  subject  to  almost  every  disease  the 
human  system  is  heir  to.  Hounds,  from  the 
amount  of  exercise  they  get,  and  their  regular 
and  simple  habits,  are  immune  from  many  of 
them,  being  singularly  free  from  those  of  a  cere- 
bral and  spinal  character,  so  common  in  other 
breeds,  the  most  common  hound  ailment  being- 
distemper  and  skin  diseases. 

Sore  and  tender  feet  are  as  great  a  source  of 
annoyance  to  the  master,  as  they  are  painful  to 
the  dog.  It  is  astonishing  how  quickly  a  kenneled 
hound  will  acquire  them  when  not  regularly  ex- 
ercised. Bathing  them  in  a  solution  of  white 
oak  bark  or  painting  the  pads  with  a  solution  of 
sulphate  of  copper  will  strengthen  and  indurate 
the  pads  and  stoppers.  When  neglected  too  long 
they  become  sore,  inflamed,  and  extremely  sensi- 
tive around  the  roots  of  the  nails.  An  applica- 
tion three  times  daily  of  two  drams  Ext.  Lead, 
one-half  ounce  Tinct.  Arnica,  to  one  pint  dis- 
tilled water,  will  be  found  very  effective. 

If  the  pads  become  torn  or  cut  while  hunting, 
a  few  drops  of  collodion,  slowly  applied,  will  ren- 
der them  insensible  to  pain,  at  least  until  the  re- 
turn to  the  kennels. 

Hounds  should  never  be  fed  to  exceed  once 
daily.  Dogs,  in  a  state  of  nature,  are  carnivo- 
rous, and,  like  wolves,  forced  to  hunt  their  food, 
would  probably  feed  every  three  or  four  days. 
Abstinence,     therefore,     of     forty-eight     hours. 


STEPHEN  H.  VELIE. 


M.  F.  H.  Kansas  City  Hunt  Club, 
Missouri. 


Kennels.  1 89 

causes  but  little  inconvenience.  Overfeeding  de- 
stroys activity  and  upsets  the  digestive  apparatus ; 
of  the  two  evils,  over  or  under  feeding,  the 
former  is  much  the  greater. 

The  attendant  should  always  remain  in  the 
yard  while  the  hounds  are  feeding,  not  only  to  pre- 
vent fighting  and  gorging  to  repletion,  but  also 
to  familiarize  himself  with  the  individual  appe- 
tites and  manner  of  eating  of  his  charges.  When 
this  is  known,  hounds  should  be  separated  at 
feeding  time,  the  timid,  shrinking,  poor  feeders 
in  one  pen,  and  the  hustling  bolters  in  another. 

When  this  can  not  be  conveniently  done,  long, 
narrow,  V-shaped  oaken  feeding  troughs  should 
be  used.  They  prevent  bolting  of  the  food,  and 
the  greedy  ones  from  getting  more  than  their 
share.  These  troughs  should  be  thoroughly 
cleaned  and  exposed  to  the  sun,  daily. 

When  a  hound  refuses  to  eat,  he  should  be 
thoroughly  examined.  If  nose  is  dry  or  warm, 
his  temperature  should  be  taken.  If  registering 
above  loi  in  the  rectum  (normal)  he  should  be 
given  a  dose  of  castor  oil,  and  watched  carefully 
for  a  day  or  two  for  other  symptoms  of  sickness. 

An  antidote  for  both  arsenic  and  strychnine 
poisoning  should  always  be  kept  in  the  kennels, 
and  the  huntsman  should  not  only  carry  a  supply 
of  it  to  the  field,  but  should  have  a  fairly  good 
knowledge  of  poisons,  and  familiarize  himself 
with  the  characteristic  symptoms  of  each,  espe- 


190  Horse  and  Hound. 

cially  if  there  has  been  any  friction  with  the 
farmers  of  the  neighborhood.  The  former  is  in- 
dicated by  vomiting  and  swollen  tongue,  while 
the  symptoms  of  the  latter  are  twitching  and 
jerking  of  the  limbs  and  muscles. 

If  either  is  indicated  when  an  antidote  is  not 
to  be  had,  an  emetic  of  hot  water  and  mustard,  or 
tobacco,  should  be  given  immediately,  and  should 
be  followed,  after  action,  with  a  dose  of  lard. 
If  administered  in  time  the  hound  can  be  saved. 

Spaying  and  castrating  are  seldom  practiced 
in  this  country;  the  only  advantage  (?)  to  be 
gained  is  the  transformation  of  a  lathy,  weedy 
hound  into  one  of  better  form  and  conformation, 
but  this  is  gained  at  the  expense  of  energy,  am- 
bition, and  vim.  One  of  the  most  stringent  rules 
of  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association  is,  that 
a  castrated  or  spayed  hound  shall  be  ineligible  to 
entry.  I,  as  a  member  of  the  committee  formu- 
lating these  rules,  prepared  and  submitted  this 
rule,  which,  I  am  pleased  to  say,  met  with  the 
hearty  and  unanimous  approval  of  the  entire  com- 
mittee, as  well  as  the  association. 


HUNT  CLUBS. 

In  1894  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Associa- 
tion was  organized,  with  Admiral  Jas.  E.  Jouett 
as  president.  As  its  name  indicates  it  is  national 
in  character,  and  its  membership  extends  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  organiza- 
tion has  done  much  to  foster  and  improve  hounds 
and  hunting,  both  by  field  trials  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  stud  book  for  registering  pedigrees. 

The  annual  trials  of  this  association  have  been 
very  successful,  both  in  point  of  entries  and  num- 
ber of  hunters  participating,  at  one  meeting  there 
being  several  hundred  hunters  in  the  field. 

The  running  rules  and  regulations  used  in 
conducting  the  field  trials  of  hounds  follow : 

The  stakes  and  the  order  of  their  running 
shall  be  as  follows: 

The  Derby  for  hounds  under  eighteen  months 
of  age.  The  winner  of  first  will  be  aw^arded  a 
silver  cup ;  winner  of  second,  a  silver  medal ;  win- 
ner of  third,  a  bronze  medal ;  and  winner  of 
fourth,  a  diploma. 

The  All-age  Stake  for  all  ages. — The  winner 
of  first  will  be  awarded  a  silver  cup;  winner  of 
13  191 


192  Horse  and  Hound. 

second,  a  silver  medal ;  winner  of  third,  a  bronze 
medal ;  winner  of  fourth,  a  diploma. 

The  Champion  Stake,  eligible  to  hounds  that 
have  won  first,  second,  or  third  prize  at  any  field 
trials  recognized  by  this  association. — The  win- 
ner of  first  will  be  awarded  a  silver  cup,  and  the 
club  to  confer  the  title  of  Champion  upon  the 
winner. 

Rule  I. — No  nominations  can  be  taken  or 
entries  made  except  by  or  through  a  subscriber 
who  shall  be  a  member  of  the  Club,  and  thereby 
becomes  responsible  for  said  entry. 

RuivE  2. — The  entrance  money  must  in  all 
cases  accompany  the  nomination.  No  entry  shall 
be  valid  until  fee  is  paid  in  full. 

RuivE  3. — The  number  of  entries  from  any 
one  kennel  or  pack  shall  be  limited  to  four.  The 
age  of  a  dog  shall  be  calculated  up  to  and  in- 
clusive of  the  first  day  of  the  hunt. 

Rule  4.  (A) — Subscribers  must  file  with  the 
Secretary  the  names  of  hounds  they  intend  start- 
ing on  or  before  12  o'clock  M.  of  the  day  pre- 
ceding the  trial.  Every  hound  entered  at  any  trial 
held  under  these  rules  must  have  been  the  bona 
fide  property  of  the  person  making  such  entry 
ten  days  before  closing  the  entries.  The  entries 
must  clearly  identify  the  dog  by  name,  and  if 
known,  its  date  of  birth,  name  of  its  sire  and 
dam,  and  the  name  of  its  breeder ;  should  any  of 
these  particulars  be  unknown  to  the  subscriber, 


ADMIRAL  JAMES  JOUETT. 

First  President  National  Fox-hunt  Asscciation. 


Hunt  Clubs.  193 

it  must  be  so  stated  on  the  entry  blank.  Every 
hound  entered  must  be  registered  or  listed  in 
the  N.  F.  H.  Association  Stud  Book.  The  pen- 
alty for  non-registration  or  listing  is  disqualifi- 
cation and  the  forfeiture  of  entry  fee  and  prizes 
won.  Any  subscriber  taking  an  entry  in  a  stake 
and  not  prefixing  the  word  "names"  to  a  hound 
which  is  not  his  own  property,  shall  forfeit  the 
hound's  chance  of  the  stake.  He  shall  also  de- 
liver in  writing  to  the  Secretary  the  name  of  the 
bona  fide  owner  of  the  hound  named  by  him. 

B  ( I )  A  hound  to  be  eligible  to  registration 
must  have  a  full  pedigree  for  three  generations, 
or  in  the  absence  of  such  pedigree  must  have  been 
a  first-prize  winner  at  a  foxhound  field  trial  recog- 
nized by  the  National  Fox-hunters'  Association. 
If  less  than  three  generations  only  can  be  given, 
a  hound  can  be  "listed"  in  the  Stud  Book  upon 
payment  of  25  cents,  and  a  certificate  of  same 
will  be  issued.  Such  listings  will  be  published 
annually  in  the  Stud  Book. 

(2)  No  change  in  a  hound's  name  shall  be 
permitted  after  it  has  been  published  in  the  an- 
nual volume  of  the  Stud  Book. 

(3)  A  hound  may  be  re-registered  upon 
change  of  ownership,  but  a  new  number  shall  not 
be  given. 

(4)  The  breed  of  a  hound  is  the  individual  or 
partnership  owning  or  leasing  the  dam  at  the 
time  of  her  being  bred. 


194  Horse  and  Hound. 

Rule  5. — If  any  subscriber  should  enter  a 
hound  by  a  different  name  from  that  in  which  it 
last  run  in  public,  without  also  adding  the  late 
name  of  the  hound,  said  hound  shall  be  disquali- 
fied. A  castrated  dog  or  spayed  bitch  shall  be 
barred.  Any  such  running  shall  forfeit  any  and 
all  prizes  won. 

Rule;  6. — Objections  or  protests  to  any  hound 
must  be  made  in  writing  to  the  Directors  and  ac- 
companied by  a  deposit  of  $10,  which  shall  be 
forfeited  if  the  objection  is  not  sustained  by  the 
Directors;  should  an  objection  be  made  which 
can  not  at  the  time  be  substantiated  or  disproved, 
the  hound  may  be  allowed  to  run  under  protest, 
the  Club  retaining  his  winnings  until  the  objec- 
tion is  either  withdrawn  or  decided.  Should  he 
be  disqualified,  the  others  shall  be  placed  the 
same  as  if  he  had  not  been  in  the  stake. 

Rule  7. — The  Directors  may  refuse  any  en- 
try they  may  think  proper  to  exclude;  and  no 
person  who  has  misconducted  himself  in  any  man- 
ner in  connection  with  the  N.  F.  H.  A.  shall  be 
allowed  to  compete  in  any  trials  that  may  be 
held  under  the  auspices  of  this  Club. 

Rule  8. — No  entry  can  be  withdrawn  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  Directors.  Parties  so  of- 
fending may  be  debarred  at  future  trials  or 
penalized,  at  the  discretion  of  the  Directors. 

Rule  9. — An  owner,  his  handler,  or  his 
deputy,  may  hunt  a  hound,  but  it  must  be  one 


Hunt  Clubs.  195 

or  the  other.  When  the  owner  has  deputed  an- 
other person  to  handle  for  him  he  must  not  in- 
terfere in  any  manner,  nor  will  he  be  allowed 
to  ride  to  hounds. 

Rule  10. — Riders  to  hounds  shall  be  limited 
to  the  handlers  with  entries  in  that  particular 
hunt,  the  judges,  the  M.  F.  H.  flag  steward,  and 
members  of  the  press  who  obtain  such  permission 
from  the  Directors. 

RUI.E  II. — The  M.  F.  H.  shall  give  the  hand- 
lers any  information  they  need  as  to  direction  to 
enable  them  to  keep  within  reasonable  distance  of 
the  hounds.  He  shall  instruct  handlers  and  out- 
siders not  to  converse  with,  or  in  the  hearing  of 
the  judges,  about  the  work  done  or  merits  or  de- 
merits of  any  of  the  competing  hounds.  It  shall 
be  his  duty  to  report  any  and  all  infringements  of 
this  rule  to  the  Directors.  The  offender  shall  be 
subject  to  a  fine  or  expulsion  from  the  grounds, 
at  the  discretion  of  the  Directors.  He  shall  ride 
to  the  hounds,  and  shall  direct  the  handlers  and 
assist  the  Judges  in  every  proper  way  possible. 
It  shall  be  his  duty  to  notify,  by  conspicuously 
posting  in  camp  the  night  before,  the  hour  and 
place  of  starting  on  the  following  day.  He  shall 
also  call  the  hunt  off.  He  shall  carefully  examine 
all  hounds  entered,  and  if  any  are  affected  with 
contagious  diseases,  or  any  bitches  in  season,  he 
shall  promptly  report  same  in  writing  to  the  Di- 
rectors, who  shall  oflicially  notify  owners  of  nom- 


196  Horse  and  Hound. 

inators  and  bar  same  from  the  trial.  He  shall 
designate  by  what  markings,  device,  or  colors 
each  entry  shall  be  marked  to  aid  the  Judges  in 
distinguishing  them,  and  no  dog  shall  be  marked 
otherwise  than  as  he  directs.  He  shall  furnish 
the  Judges  each  day  with  a  list  of  the  dogs  run- 
ning, their  name,  owner,  and  distinctive  markings. 

RuivE  12. — The  Field  Stewards,  where  prac- 
ticable, should  be  sworn  in  as  deputy  sheriffs. 
They  shall  be  held  responsible  for  the  proper  con- 
duct of  behavior  of  spectators  and  participants, 
and  will  see  that  spectators  are  kept  at  a  proper 
distance  from  and  do  not  interfere  with  the 
hounds  participating.  They  shall  also  see  that 
there  is  no  destruction  of  property.  They  shall 
report  to  the  Directors  or  M.  F.  H.  throughout 
the  day  for  instructions. 

RuivE  13. — The  Flag  Steward  shall,  if  possi- 
ble, keep  both  hounds  and  spectators  in  view,  and 
by  a  series  of  flag  signals  notify  the  Field  Stew- 
ards of  the  general  direction  of  the  hounds.  He 
shall  act  as  assistant  to  M.  F.  H.  in  directing  and 
calling  off  the  handlers. 

Rule  14. — There  shall  not  be  less  than  three 
or  more  than  five  Judges,  who  shall  be  elected 
by  the  Directors  of  the  Club.  They  must  not  be 
interested,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  any  of  the 
hounds,  and  must  be  hunters  of  large  fox-hunting 
experience,  and  capable  of  closely  following  the 
hounds.     They  shall  be  subject  to  the  general 


A.   HENRY  HIGGINSON. 

M.  F.  H.  Middlesex  Hunt  Club. 


Hunt  Clubs,  197 

rules  of  the  Club  and  report  for  duty  each  day 
to  the  Directors.  They  shall  have  the  fullest  dis- 
cretion, consistent  with  the  rules,  in  determining 
the  merits  of  the  hounds,  and  in  the  field  shall 
have  the  ordering  off  of  the  hunt.  Should  an 
appointed  Judge  be  unable  to  fulfill  his  engage- 
ment or  become  disabled,  the  Directors  shall  have 
the  power  to  fill  the  vacancy,  or  not,  in  such  man- 
ner as  they  see  fit. 

RuivK  15. — Judges  are  recjuested  to  select  a 
reserve  award,  in  case  one  of  the  winners  should 
be  disqualified,  that  the  prize  may  not  fail  of  be- 
ing awarded.  The  Judges  shall  continue  the  run- 
ning during  the  day,  and  from  day  to  day,  until 
a  majority  of  them  are  satisfied. 

Rui,E  16. — Their  final  decision  shall  be  ren- 
dered in  writing  to  the  Directors;  the)^  can  not 
recall  or  reverse  them  on  any  pretext  whatever 
after  being  so  given.  If  any  person  openly  im- 
pugns the  decision  or  actions  of  a  Judge  on  the 
grounds  or  in  the  camp,  he  may  be  fined,  in  the 
discretion  of  the  Directors,  not  more  than  $25  or 
less  than  $5. 

Rui.E  17. — No  person  shall  attempt  to  in- 
fluence a  Judge's  decision,  either  before,  during, 
or  after  a  race.  If  a  party  so  offending  is  a  mem- 
ber, he  shall  be  expelled  from  the  Club ;  if  other- 
wise, he  shall  be  fined  and  sent  from  the  meeting. 

Rule  18. — The  handler  hunting  a  dog  may 
speak  to  and  urge  him  on  in  a  proper  manner. 


198  Horse  and  Hound, 

but  he  shall  be  cautioned  twice  by  the  Judges  or 
M.  F.  H.  for  making  unnecessary  noise  or  dis- 
orderly conduct,  and  if  after  such  a  caution  he 
continues  to  so  offend,  he  may  be  ordered  from 
the  field.  Should  a  handler  ride  over  or  pur- 
posely interfere  with  an  opponent's  hound,  the 
owner  of  the  hound  so  ridden  over  or  interfered 
with  shall  have  the  privilege  of  saying  which  one 
of  the  offender's  entries  shall  be  barred,  or  shall 
have  the  option  of  selecting  at  the  end  of  that 
particular  hunt  one  of  the  offender's  hounds, 
w^hich  will  remain  in  the  stake,  and  he  shall  be 
entitled  to  claim  one-half  of  said  hound's  win- 
nings, if  any. 

Rui^E  19. — A  hound  that  fails  by  action  or 
note  to  w^ork  fairly  on  a  trail,  and  runs  ''cunning" 
to  get  an  advantage,  shall  be  discounted,  in  the 
discretion  of  the  Judges. 

Rule  20. — A  hound  left  on  a  "jump"  or 
thrown  out  "on  a  loss  taken  off,"  shall  not  be 
penalized  if  it  works  diligently  to  "get  in"  and 
succeeds  in  a  reasonable  time. 

Rule  21. — A  hound  "thrown  out"  and  "com- 
ing in"  and  refusing  to  hunt  or  "go  in"  to  others 
in  full  cry  shall  be  marked  and  barred. 

Rule  22. — Should  the  pack  become  separated 
the  Judges  must  divide  and  carefully  note  the 
work  of  each  pack,  and  immediately  upon  re- 
assembling individually  rq^ort  work  noted. 

Rule  23. — A  hound  lost  during  a  run  and 


Hunt  Clubs.  199 

not  returning  until  the  trials  are  partly  or  wholly 
finished,  shall  be  given  credit,  provided  the  Judges 
are  satisfied  that  he  has  been  running;  testimony 
of  interested  parties  not  to  be  taken  on  this  point. 

Rui,E  24. — Any  person  allowing  a  hound  to 
get  loose  and  join  in  the  chase,  shall  be  fined  not 
less  than  $5.  If  the  loose  hound  belongs  to  an 
owner  of  one  engaged  in  that  particular  chase, 
such  owner  shall  be  fined  in  the  discretion  of  the 
Directors,  unless  he  can  prove  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Directors  that  he  had  not  been  able  to 
take  up  his  hound  after  finishing  his  last  chase. 
The  fact,  however,  of  other  hounds  joining  in 
shall  not  necessarily  end  the  chase. 

Rule  25. — No  hounds  shall  be  eligible  to 
compete  in  trials  that  have  been  hunted  or  kept 
within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles  of  the  meet  within 
three  months  preceding  the  trials. 

Rule  26. — The  entries  in  a  stake  shall  be 
numbered  and  divided  into  packs,  in  the  discre- 
tion of  the  Directors;  said  division  shall  be  made 
by  drawing  lots  under  supervision  of  the  Judges. 
When  possible,  a  kennel  or  owner  should  not 
have  more  than  one  hound  in  each  pack.  After 
the  first  round  the  Judges  will  order  such  hounds 
as  they  elect  to  run  in  the  following  rounds.  In 
the  general  average,  the  Judges  shall  make  their 
decision  upon  the  uniform  principle  that  the 
hound  showing  the  most  aptitude  and  ability  to 
find,  trail,  and  catch  a  fox  is  the  winner.     The 


200  Horse  and  Hound. 

principle  is  to  be  carried  out  by  estimating  the 
work  done  upon  the  following  scale  of  points : 

Hunting    20 

Trailing 20 

Speed 20 

Endurance 20 

Giving  tongue 10 

Judgment  and  intelligence 10 


100 


The  Brunswick  Hunt  Club  was  organized  in 
1889;  holds  annual  field  trials  at  Barre,  Mass., 
and  is  composed  of  some  of  the  best  known  fox- 
hunters  and  business  men  of  the  New  England 
States. 

This  organization  has  done  much  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  hound  and  hunting  in  New 
England.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  Hunt 
Clubs  in  the  South  that  hold  field  trials,  making 
regular  awards  for  the  best  hounds  in  the  differ- 
ent classes. 

The  only  hound  pack  trials  ever  held  in  this 
country  were  at  Westbury,  Long  Island,  in  the 
fall  of  1902.  The  five  packs  competing  for  the 
v$i,ooo  prize  were:  Green  Spring  Valley  Hunt, 
Redmond  C.  Stewart,  M.  F.  H. ;  Meadowbrook 
Pack,  John  Leeper,  Acting  M.  F.  H. ;  Aiken 
Pack,  Thomas  Hitchcock,  Jr.,  M.  F.  H. ;  two 
packs  from  Hickory  Valley  Hunt,  J.  M.  Avent, 


JOHN  R.  VALENTINE. 


M.  F.  H.  Radnor  Hunt  Club, 
Pennsylvania. 


Hunt  Clubs.  20 1 

M.  F.  H.  Two  packs  were  hunted  at  a  time,  one 
wearing  red  collars,  with  seven  and  one-half 
couples  in  each  pack.  After  five  days'  hunting 
and  work  the  judges  decided  that  the  Green 
Spring  Valle}^  and  Aiken  packs  were  so  evenly 
matched  in  speed,  endurance,  driving,  and  pack 
work  that  they  could  not  render  a  decision,  and 
accordingly  divided  the  $1,000  purse  between 
them  equally. 

The  Meadowbrook  Hunt  Club  is  probably  the 
best  known  of  the  Eastern  Clubs.  It  was  organ- 
ized in  188 1,  and  its  membership  has  steadily  in- 
creased until  now  it  numbers  about  125.  The 
fifty  couples  of  hounds  are  divided  into  three 
packs,  English,  American,  and  Drag  hounds.  The 
foxhounds  are  hunted  in  the  morning  and  the 
drag  hounds  in  the  afternoon.  The  favorite 
meets  are  at  Jericho,  Wheatley,  Westbury,  Pip- 
ing Rock,  Lyosset,  and  Guinea.  The  season 
opens  September  ist,  and  lasts  until  stopped  by 
unseasonable  weather,  and  in  the  spring  from 
March  ist  to  April  15th.  Wild  red  foxes  are 
hunted  with  two  or  three  drag  hunts  each  week. 
Nassua,  Queen's,  and  Suffolk  Counties,  Long 
Island,  are  hunted,  the  countr}^  being  rolling,  and 
the  fencing,  mostly  timber,  is  not  too  stiff  to  be 
ridden  straight.  The  present  Master,  Mr.  Peter 
F.  Collier,  Mr.  Foxhall  Keene's  successor,  can 
be  relied  upon  to  furnish  high-class  sport.  The 
average  attendance  is  about  fifty,  seventy-five  be- 


202  Horse  and  Hound. 

ing  a  gala  field,  ten  per  cent  of  whom  are  ladies. 
Many  high-type  American  hunters  are  ridden,  a 
majority  of  them  capable  of  going  the  line.  Eng- 
lish and  Irish  hunters  have  been  tried,  and  though 
game,  good  weight  carriers,  and  speedy,  do  not 
take  to  the  country  as  well  as  the  native  bred 
hunters.  This  is  largely  owing  to  the  different 
style  of  obstacles  encountered,  the  jumps  here  in- 
clining more  to  height  than  breadth,  high  jump- 
ing being  one  of  the  first  requisites  in  a  Meadow- 
brook  hunter. 

The  Aiken  Hounds,  Thomas  Hitchcock,  Jr., 
Master,  is  a  private  pack  composed  of  thirty 
couples  of  Southern  American  hounds,  selected 
more  for  their  individual  worth  than  for  their 
bench  show  qualities.  This  is  attested  by  the  fact 
that  they  killed  twenty-four  foxes  in  1902,  and 
thirty-three  in  1904.  Mr.  Hitchcock  hunts  near 
Aiken,  S.  C,  in  a  timbered  country,  three  days 
a  week,  from  November  ist  to  April  ist.  That 
he  has  confidence  in  his  hounds,  and  it  is  not  mis- 
placed, is  proven  by  their  winnings  at  the  annual 
foxhound  field  trials. 

The  Lima  Hunt  Club,  organized  in  1885, 
composed  of  seventy-five  members,  hunts  in  Dela- 
ware County,  Pa.  Their  pack  of  twenty  couples 
of  American  hounds  (subscription)  is  hunted, 
three  fixtures  and  three  byes  a  week,  from  No- 
vember to  April  15th.  Chas.  A.  Dohan,  the  Mas- 
ter, hunts  wild  foxes  over  a  hilly,  rolling  coun- 


Hunt  Chtbs.  203 

try,  with  timber  fenced  fields,  small  enough  to 
check  the  rush  of  a  big  field  of  hunters.  The 
Club  has  fifteen  lady  members,  with  an  average 
of  five  in  the  saddle,  being  twenty-five  per  cent 
of  the  total.  The  annual  race  meet  of  this  club, 
held  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  consists  of  mile  races 
on  the  flat  and  two  and  a  half  mile  steeplechases 
across  country.  The  events  fill  well  and  good 
sport  is  furnished  the  large,  fashionable  crowds 
in  attendance.  Professionalism,  so  frequently  in- 
festing similar  meets,  is  conspicuous  by  its  ab- 
sence. 

The  Myopia  Hunt  Club,  Boston,  was  founded 
in  1879,  though  it  was  not  until  1881  they  se- 
cured a  regular  pack,  which  was  brought  from 
Montreal  and  hunted,  with  Mr.  Hugh  A.  Allen 
as  Master.  While  the  club  has  a  membership  of 
over  one  hundred,  the  "fields"  only  average  about 
twenty,  a  goodly  percentage  being  ladies.  When 
the  conditions  are  considered,  the  small  fields  are 
not  to  be  wondered  at.  The  hunting  is  in  Essex 
County,  about  an  hour's  train  ride  from  Boston. 
It  is,  therefore,  necessary  for  the  horses  and 
hounds  to  "lay  out"  over  night  preceding  the 
"meets."  In  addition  to  the  small  inclosures  and 
the  natural  rockiness  of  the  country,  there  are 
many  salt  marshes,  while  directly  through  the 
center  of  the  hunting  ground  is  a  river  hedged 
by  an  extensive  swamp,  adjoining  an  almost  im- 
penetrable scrub  woodland.     To  add  to  the  mis- 


204  Horse  and  Hound, 

eries  of  the  enthusiastic  hunters,  there  is  scarcely 
a  field  that  is  not  wired  or  fenced  with  stone 
walls.  The  hounds  are  English,  of  the  large  type. 
The  horses  are  highly  bred,  many  of  them  being 
thoroughbreds.  Three  meets  a  week  are  held, 
from  September  ist  until  frost;  no  spring  hunt- 
ing being  indulged  in.  Mr.  George  S.  Mandell, 
of  Boston,  has  been  the  Master  since  1901. 

Another  well-known  club  is  in  Fauquier 
County,  Va.,  the  Warrenton.  Hunt,  which  has 
been  in  existence  since  1889.  Mr.  John  D.  Hooe 
is  the  President,  and  Mr.  U.  D.  Benner  is  the 
Master.  The  hunting  season  is  an  unusually  long 
one  of  forty  meets,  and  the  twelve  couples  of 
American  hounds  are  given  a  lot  of  work  after 
the  drag.  The  attendance  averages  twenty-five, 
a  goodly  percentage  of  whom  are  ladies. 

The  Blue  Ridge  Hunt,  of  Virginia,  with 
twenty  odd  members  and  ten.  couples  of  hounds, 
hunt  in  Clark  County,  a  rolling,  open  country, 
with  a  great  variety  of  fencing,  including  stone 
walls.  The  Master,  Mr.  Edward  Gay  Butler,  al- 
ternates the  pack  upon  drag  and  wild  foxes  twice 
a  week,  with  fifty  per  cent  of  the  members  in  the 
saddle. 

The  London  Hunt  Club  ( Canada) ,  organized 
in  1885,  has  a  membership  of  145,  with  sixteen 
couples  of  good  English  hounds.  For  the  first 
ten  years  of  its  existence,  wild  foxes  were  hunted, 
but  since  then  the  wily  anise-seed  bag  has  been 


0^ 


THOMAS  HITCHCOCK.  JR. 

M.  F.  H.  Hitchcock  Hounds. 
South  Carolina. 


204 


Htmt  Clubs.  205 

assiduously  chased  twice  weekly  during  the 
months  of  September,  October,  and  November. 
Mr.  Adam  Beck,  the  present  Master,  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  best  the  club  has  ever  had,  and 
furnishes  the  members,  who  average  about  twenty 
at  each  meet,  with  as  much  sport  as  can  be  had 
under  the  existing  conditions. 

The  Middlesex  Hunt  Club,  of  Massachusetts, 
with  a  membership  of  about  fifty,  musters  an 
average  attendance  of  fifteen  in  the  saddle,  in- 
cluding three  or  four  ladies.  It  was  founded  in 
1899,  and  for  the  first  year  or  two  had  only  six 
or  eight  couples  of  hounds;  of  late  years,  how- 
ever, great  pains  have  been  taken  in  getting  to- 
gether as  good  a  pack  of  English  hounds  as  ix)s- 
sible.  Forty  odd  couples  have  been  imported 
from  the  Essex  Union  and  the  Southdow^n  Hunts 
in  England,  and  they  will  be  considerably 
strengthened  during  the  present  season  by  im- 
ports from  the  Belvoir,  the  Fitzvvilliam,  and  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort's  kennels.  Mr.  A.  Henry  Hig- 
ginson  has  been  Master  since  the  organization, 
sharing  the  honors  in  1900  with  Mr.  Howard 
Snelling,  and  in  1904  with  Mr.  Julian  Chamber- 
lain. Robert  Cotesworth,  late  huntsman  to  the 
Earl  of  Bathurst,  is  the  present  huntsman,  and 
under  his  able  management  the  pack  will  show 
material  improvement  over  past  form.  Consider- 
ing the  class  of  country,  many  good  runs  and 
the  occasional  killing  of  a  fox  are  had,  the  latter 


2o6  Horse  and  Hound. 

being  exceptional  in  this  State.  The  country 
hunted  Hes  in  a  radius  of  twenty-one  miles  of 
Lincoln,  and  varies  from  rough  pasture  to  good 
grass  fields  with  the  typical  New  England  stone 
walls  varying  from  three  feet  to  four  and  a  half. 
The  hounds  are  the  property  of  the  Master,  Mr. 
Higginson,  who  hunts  them  himself,  and  are  con- 
sidered fast. 

The  Genesee  Valley  Hunt  Club  is  the  oldest 
hunt  club  in  the  United  States,  having  been  or- 
ganized as  early  as  1876.  Major  W.  A.  Wads- 
worth,  a  prince  of  sportsmen,  is  the  President 
and  Master,  and  the  pack,  known  as  the  Major 
Wadsworth  Hounds,  is  composed  largely  of  the 
American-English  cross-bred  hounds,  containing 
at  present  but  fourteen  couples,  being  about  one- 
half  the  usual  number.  The  hunting  is  in  the 
Genesee  Valley,  mostly  in  Livingstone  County. 
and  is  an  ideal  fox-hunting  country.  During  the 
months  of  October  and  November  wild  red  foxes 
are  run,  and  the  average  attendance  for  three 
days  in  the  week  is  about  fifty.  The  fencing  is 
rail  and  board,  not  too  stiff  to  be  ridden  straight, 
at  least  by  the  members  who  have  the  reputation 
of  being  hard,  straight  riders.  The  hunters  are 
mostly  three-quarer  and  full  thoroughbreds, 
many  of  them  being  bred  in  Canada.  It  has  al- 
ways been  a  fox-hunting  community,  the  hard 
riders  and  superior  jumping  hunters  being  the 
result  of  the  genuine,  high-class  sport  given  them 


Hunt  Clubs.  207 

by  Mr.  Austin  Wadsworth,  who  has  been  the 
Master  twenty  odd  years. 

The  Westchester  Club  (Chester  County,  Pa.) 
while  a  young  one,  having  been  organized  in 
1902,  is  a  flourishing  one,  with  twenty  couples  of 
American  hounds.  Colonel  A.  M.  Holding  is 
President,  Carrol  Jacobs,  Secretary,  and  J.  C. 
Murtagh,  Chas.  F.  Oat,  P.  S.  Darlington,  W.  H. 
Cochran,  and  Herbert  Carter  are  the  Board  of 
Governors.  The  Master,  Mr.  Jno.  J.  Gheen,  has 
the  hounds  afield  every  day,  weather  permitting, 
between  December  ist  and  April  ist.  It  has  a 
membership  of  fifty-five,  w^ith  an  average  attend- 
ance of  from  ten  to  twenty,  including  two  ladies. 
Red  foxes  are  plentiful;  the  country  is  open  and 
rolling,  with  post,  rail,  and  worm  fences,  and  no 
finer  counti*y  for  fox-hunting  could  be  desired, 
the  runs  frequently  being  from  three  to  six  hours. 

In  point  of  membership,  the  Green  Spring 
Valley  Hunt  Club,  of  Maryland,  organized  in 
1892,  is  second  only  to  the  Deep  Run  and  Elk- 
ridge  Hunt  Clubs  in  active  membership,  having 
200  members.  Mr.  Redmond  C.  Stewart  is  not 
an  idle  Master,  and  hunts  the  thirty  couples 
of  American  hounds  every  other  day,  weather 
permitting,  from  October  ist  to  March  20th. 
The  country  hunted  is  the  northwest  section 
of  Baltimore  County,  which  is  a  farming  com- 
munity with  an  occasional  strip  of  heavy 
woods,  the  stifif  timber  fences  and  many  ditches 
14 


2o8  Horse  and  Hound. 

making  interesting  hunting  for  the  half  dozen 
ladies  and  score  and  a  half  men  riders  who  turn 
out  on  hunting  days.  High-class  hunters,  with 
the  necessary  cross-country  qualities,  are  ridden 
by  the  members. 

The  Deep  Run  Hunt  Club,  of  Richmond,  Va., 
while  having  a  very  large  membership  (225), 
probably  the  largest  active  in  this  country,  sends 
but  a  small  percentage  to  the  field,  the  average  at- 
tendance in  the  saddle  not  exceeding  fifteen,  a 
third  of  which  are  ladies.  This  is  doubtless  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  wild  foxes  are  not  to 
be  had,  having  to  content  themselves  with  the 
drag  and  captive  foxes.  Were  they  as  energetic 
as  the  members  of  the  Myopia  Club,  most  ex- 
cellent running  could  be  had  by  going  half  the 
distance.  Mr.  C.  C.  Pinckney  is  President,  and 
Mr.  H.  C.  Beattie  the  Master,  who  hunts  eight 
couples  of  American  hounds  twice  a  week.  Some 
line  hunters  of  thoroughbred  strain  are  owned  by 
the  different  members. 

The  Onwentsia  Hunt  Club,  of  Chicago,  is  one 
of  the  few  Western  Clubs  which  is  forced  to  use 
drag  hounds.  The  pack  is  about  evenly  divided 
between  English  and  American  hounds.  Its  pres- 
ent membership  is  fifty,  one-half  of  whom  ride 
three  times  a  week  from  September  to  April.  Mr. 
W.  Vernon  Booth  is  the  Master. 

Organized  in  1895  and  incorporated  in  1901, 
the  Norfolk  Hunt  Club,  of  Medfield,  Mass.,  has 


HENRY  G.  VAUGHAN. 

M.  F.  P.  Norfolk  Hunt  Club, 
Massachusetts. 


208 


Hunt  Clubs.  209 

eighty-five  members,  Francis  Peabody,  Jr.,  being 
President.  The  Board  of  Governors  is  composed 
of  the  President,  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and  Mas- 
ter, and  three  Stewards.  Mr.  Henry  G.  Vaughn, 
ihe  Master,  hunts  the  twenty-five  couples  of 
American  and  EngHsh  hounds.  The  drag  hunt- 
ing in  Norfolk  and  adjoining  counties  is  done 
entirely  with  the  English  hounds  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  season  in  September  until  after 
Thanksgiving,  when  the  ground  becomes  frozen, 
the  meets  are  changed  to  Cape  Cod  and  wild  foxes 
are  hunted  with  the  American  hounds  until  late 
in  December,  over  a  good,  smooth  country  with 
the  usual  New  England  stone  walls.  Owing  to 
the  muddy  and  sandy  soil,  the  going  is  heavy. 
The  proportion  of  men  and  women  is  about  six 
to  one. 

The  Cameron  Hunt  Club,  with  seventy-five 
members,  thirteen  couples  of  English  hounds,  es- 
tablished in  1897,  hold  drag  meets  twice  a  week 
and  holidays.  Mr.  Robert  E.  Lee,  Jr.,  is  Presi- 
dent, and  Mr.  Courtland  H.  Smith  is  Master. 
The  country  hunted  is  Alexandria  and  Fairfax 
Counties,  Va.,  a  good  negotiable  country  for 
cross-country  riding. 

The  Chester  Valley  Club  (Pennsylvania),  R. 
Penn  Smith,  Master,  organized  in  1897,  has 
twenty  couples  of  American  hounds  (subscrip- 
tion) which  are  hunted  from  November  22d  to 
March  17th.    The  country  is  open,  an  abundance 


2IO  Horse  and  Hound, 

of  red  foxes  abound,  requiring  no  artificial  stock- 
ing, and  good  runs,  with  an  occasional  kill,  are 
had.  Out  of  a  membership  of  sixty-two,  one- 
half  can  generally  be  counted  upon  for  an  aver- 
age of  twice  a  week. 

Mr.  Harry  W.  Smith,  Master  of  both  the 
Grafton  Hunt  and  the  Smith  Hounds,  of  fifteen 
couples  each,  hunts  the  country  about  Worcester, 
Mass.  The  former  is  a  subscription  pack  of 
American  hounds,  and  the  latter  the  same  num- 
ber of  Southern  hounds.  Mr.  Smith  has  a  stable 
of  good  hunters,  Rudolph  being  the  star  per- 
former. Mr.  Smith's  hounds  are  frequently  seen 
upon  the  bench  and  entered  at  the  hound  trials. 

The  Elkridge  Hunt  Club  is  not  only  one  of 
the  largest,  but  one  of  the  oldest  clubs.  It  was 
organized  in  1878,  and  at  present  has  a  member- 
ship of  250.  Mr.  E.  A.  Jackson,  the  Master,  is 
also  President  of  the  Club,  member  of  several  im- 
portant committees,  and  to  his  skill  and  unflag- 
ging interest  much  of  its  success  is  due.  The  pack 
consists  of  thirty  odd  couples  of  American  and 
half  English-American  hounds,  and  is  accounted 
a  good  one  both  for  drag  and  wild-fox  hunting. 
The  hunting  season  is  autumn  and  spring,  in 
Baltimore  County,  Md.  It  is  a  good  hunting 
country,  being  rolling  and  fairly  open.  The  fenc- 
ing is  varied,  comprising  plank,  post,  and  rail  and 
snake,  requiring  a  good  class  of  sure-footed 
hunters.     Wild  foxes  are  plentiful,  and  excellent 


Hunt  Clubs.  211 

runs  are  generally  had,  the  country  carrying  good 
scent.  About  fifteen  men  and  two  or  three  ladies 
turn  out  at  each  meet. 

The  Harkaway  Hunt,  organized  in  1903,  is  a 
worthy  successor  to  the  Pittsburg  Hunt,  organ- 
ized in  1899.  Mr.  Frank  M.  Lowry  is  the  Mas- 
ter, and  Hon.  Waltey  Lyon  the  President.  The 
fourteen  couples  contain  American,  English,  and 
Irish  hounds.  Semi-weekly  hunts,  alternating 
drag  and  wild  foxes,  are  held  from  September 
to  May  1st,  in  the  vicinity  of  Donald,  Pa. 

Mr.  Edward  Crozer,  the  Master  of  the  Up- 
land Hunt  Club,  furnishes  good  sport  to  its  sixty 
members,  few  of  whom,  however,  avail  them- 
selves of  it,  hunting  eighteen  couples  of  American 
hounds  on  native  foxes,  from  October  to  March 
1st.  Delaware  County  (Pa.),  the  hunting 
ground,  is  rather  hilly  and  stiff,  in  which  post 
and  rail  fences  abound. 

The  hunting  fever  reached  the  Pacific  Coast 
in  1900,  at  which  time  the  Portland  Hunt  Club 
was  organized.  The  drag  pack  of  ten  couples  of 
American  hounds  are  run  under  the  Mastership 
of  Mr.  T.  S.  McRath.  Fifty  of  the  125  members 
are  generally  in  the  saddle,  and  though  the  coun- 
try is  brushy,  the  log  and  low  rail  fences  make 
it  an  easy  one  for  cross-country  riding.  Many 
ladies  grace  the  occasion  of  each  meet  with  their 
presence. 

The    Orange    County    Hounds,    owned    and 


212  Horse  and  Hound. 

hunted  by  Mr.  John  R.  Townsend  and  Mr.  E.  H. 
Haniman,  in  Orange  and  Fauquier  Counties,  Va., 
afford  most  excellent  sport  to  their  many  friends 
every  other  day  throughout  the  season.  The 
pack  is  a  good  one  of  twelve  couples  American 
and  twenty-six  couples  English;  the  foxes  are 
red  with  straightaway  inclinations.  The  English 
hounds  are  used  in  the  drag. 

The  Chevy  Chase  Club,  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
organized  in  1892,  has  a  membership  of  750. 
Mr.  Clarence  Moore  has  beeii  the  Master  for  the 
past  seven  years,  and  hunts  twenty-two  couples  of 
English  and  twelve  of  American  hounds  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  Md.,  the  country  being  rolling, 
farming  country  and  well  adapted  to  the  drag  as 
well  as  fox  hunts,  which  are  held  almost  daily 
throughout  a  season  extending-  from  November 
15th  to  April  15th.  A  larger  percentage  of  ladies 
hunt  in  this  club  than  in  any  other,  at  least  one- 
fourth  of  the  field  being  composed  of  ladies.  The 
coverts  are  small  and  fences  easy,  showing  op- 
portunities for  good  bursts  of  speed. 

The  Essex  Hunt. — Master,  Charles  Pfizer; 
Huntsman,  Wm.  Howard  since  1890;  Whipper- 
jn-Kennelmeu,  all  professionals,  being  subject  to 
changes.  Hounds,  imported  English,  thirty-five 
couples,  a  draft  being  imported  annually  to  main- 
tain a  good  average.  Location  of  Kennels,  Glad- 
stone, N.  J.  Telegraph  office  and  railroad  station, 
Gladstone,  N.  J.     Post-office,  Gladstone,   N.   J. 


HARRY  W.  SMITH. 


M.  F.  H.  Grafton  Hunt  Club, 
Massachusetts. 


Hunt  Clubs.  213 

Days  of  meeting,  Wednesdays,  Saturdays,  and 
all  holidays.  Season,  September  ist  to  December 
31st,  and,  on  the  average,  six  weeks  in  the  spring. 
Country,  hill  and  dale,  principally  pasture  and 
hay  and  wheat  fields  in  Somerset  and  Morris 
Counties.  History  of  Hunt,  orginally  Essex 
County  Hunt,  organized  in  1877,  at  Orange,  N.  J., 
hunted  in  Essex  and  Union  Counties  until  1890; 
since  then  it  is  a  private  pack,  with  subscription 
privileges,  located  at  Morristown,  1890- 1893; 
since  then  permanent.  It  is  a  post  and  rail  coun- 
try, mainly  drag  hunting,  the  riders  average 
twenty  men ;  very  few  ladies  turn  out,  the  country 
being  too  stiff  and  the  coverts  too  thick  and  large 
to  permit  wild-fox  hunting  successfully,  which 
sport  is  followed  with  varying  success  during  the 
winter  months,  but  it  is  not  a  regular  fixture. 
Part  of  the  pack  is  hunted  annually  at  Southamp- 
ton, L.  L,  during  September  and  October. 

The  White  Marsh  Valley  Hunt.— Master, 
Welsh  Strawbridge.  Officers :  President,  Ed- 
ward D.  Toland;  Vice-President,  William  Diss- 
ton;  Secretary,  Thomas  Stokes;  Treasurer,  Rus- 
sell H.  Johnson,  Jr. ;  Huntsman,  Mr.  J.  Gerhard 
Leiper,  Jr. ;  Whippers-in,  Mr.  Walter  Stokes  and 
Mr.  Edw.  N.  Benson,  Jr. ;  Kennelman,  James 
McCuen.  Hounds,  American  foxhounds,  mostly 
tricolor;  after  much  weeding  out,  have  gathered 
together  a  small  pack  of  hounds  that  show  good 
sport.      Location   of   kennels,   Erdenheim   Stock 


2  14  Horse  and  Hound. 

Farm,  White  Marsh  Valley,  Montgomery 
County,  above  Chestnut  Hill,  Philadelphia.  Tele- 
graph office  and  railroad  station,  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Terminals,  Chestnut  tlill, 
Philadelphia.  Post-office,  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila- 
delphia. Days  of  meeting,  Saturdays  and  legal 
holidays,  with  a  bye  day,  mostly  Wednesday,  in 
the  middle  of  the  week.  Season,  from  October 
1st  to  March  ist,  or  as  much  longer  as  the 
going  pennits.  Country,  White  Marsh  Valley, 
mostly  meadow  land,  post  and  rail  fences.  Out- 
side of  the  valley  the  country  is  rolling,  fences 
generally  well  kept  up,  and  farms  prosperous.  A 
good  open  country,  very  little  rough  going.  Club 
organized  in  the  fall  of  1903;  has  a  full  member- 
ship list  of  one  hundred  riding  members,  also  a 
list  of  about  thirty-five  subscribing  members. 
The  hounds  for  the  last  two  seasons  have  been 
run  as  a  drag  pack. 

The  Patapsco  Hunt. — Master,  Dorsey  M. 
Williams  (P.  O.  address,  Ellicott  City,  Md.). 
Officers:  President,  Grosvenor  Hanson;  Vice- 
President,  Colonel  Chas.  F.  Macklin;  Secretary, 
Rowland  C.  West  ( Catonsville,  Md.)  ;  Hunts- 
man, the  Master  hunts  the  hounds  (the  Master 
maintains  a  stable  of  about  fifteen  schooled  hunt- 
ers, and  always  mounts  guests  of  the  hunt)  ; 
Whippers-in,  first,  N.  Roger  Williams ;  second,  A. 
R.  H.  Ranson,  Jr. ;  Kennelman,  Joseph  Harman. 
Hounds,    about    twenty    couples    of    American 


Hunt  Clubs.  215 

hounds.  Location  of  kennels,  Howard  County, 
Maryland,  about  two  miles  from  Elk  Ridge,  on 
B.  &  O.  R.  R.  Days  of  meeting,  Wednesday  and 
Saturday,  with  bye  days,  as  the  Master  sees  fit. 
Season,  cub  hunting  begins  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember. The  regular  season  begins  October  ist 
and  closes  April  ist.  Country,  all  of  Howard 
County  and  the  portion  of  Anne  Arundle  County 
adjacent  thereto.  The  present  club  was  organ- 
ized in  September,  1898,  although  fox-hunting 
has  been  pursued  in  Howard  County  since  Colo- 
nial times.  The  Elkridge  F.  H.  Club  originated 
in  this  country.  The  present  Master,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams, has  carried  the  horn  since  the  inception  of 
the  club.  He  is  considered  one  of  the  best  judges 
of  the  foxhound  in  America.  Veterinary  sur- 
geon, Dr.  Adams,  of  Catonsville.  Country  is 
rolling,  the  fencing  mostly  snake  and  post  and 
rail,  with  very  little  wire.  Foxes  are  plentiful. 
Membership  comprises  most  of  the  prominent 
farmers,  and  there  is  absolutely  no  opposition  to 
the  sport  from  that  source.  Hold  a  two-days' 
race  meet  at  Pimlico  ever}-^  year  on  Labor  Day 
and  the  Saturday  previous. 

The  Blue  Ridge  Hunt. — Master,  Edward  Gay 
Butler,  Berryville,  Va.  Officers:  Dr.  Robert  C. 
Randolph,  President;  Courtney  B.  Jones,  Secre- 
tary; Edward  G.  Butler,  Treasurer;  Huntsman, 
Adam  Hubbard;  Whippers-in,  George  Page  and 
Will    Dearmont;    Kennelman,    Adam    Hubbard. 


2i6  Horse  and  Hound. 

Hounds,  thoroughbred  American  foxhounds,  ten 
couples.  Location  of  kennels,  "Annefield,"  the 
home  of  the  Master.  Telegraph  office  and  rail- 
road station,  Berryville,  Va.  Post-office,  Mill- 
wood, Clark  County,  Va.  Days  of  hunting, 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  and  all  legal  holidays. 
Season,  October  ist  to  April  15th,  inclusive. 
Country,  Clarke  County,  Virginia,  between  the 
Shenandoah  River  and  the  Opequan  River.  Es- 
tablished in  1888,  with  American  hounds,  Dr. 
Gwynne  Harrison  as  Master.  Then  English 
hounds,  and  after  two  seasons  American  hounds 
again.  Veterinary  surgeon,  Dr.  Cameron,  Win- 
chester, Va.  The  country  near  the  Shenandoah 
and  Opequan  Rivers  abounds  in  red  and  gray 
foxes,  but  the  great  amount  of  barbed  wire  put 
up  in  the  last  few  years  has  seriously  affected 
the  sport. 

The  Brandywine  Hounds. — Master,  Charles 
E.  Mather.  Private  pack.  Huntsman,  Percy 
Picton;  Whippers-in,  Tom  Parker,  Delmont 
Broadbelt;  Kennelman,  Miles.  Hounds,  forty- 
two  couples.  Location  of  kennels,  Brandywine 
Meadow  Farm,  West  Chester,  Pa.  Days  of  meet- 
ing, every  good  hunting  day  from  October  ist 
to  March  15th.  Country,  Chester  and  Delaware 
Counties,  Pa.  Hounds  all  bred  on  the  farm  from 
a  draft  obtained  from  the  Belvoir  Kennels,  Eng- 
land, in  1902.  Hounds  all  of  thoroughbred  blood. 
The  pack  work  as  one  and  are  hunted  only  on  the 


216 


Hunt  Clubs.  217 

wild  red  fox  and  are  required  to  find  and  run 
the  fox,  unaided,  to  earth  or  to  the  death  every 
time  they  go  out. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  most  famous 
hunt  clubs  in  America : 

Lima  Hunt  Club,  Chas.  A.  Dohan,  M.  F.  H., 
Lima,  Pa. 

Norfolk  Hunt  Club,  H.  G.  Vaughan,  M.  F. 
H.,  Chatham,  Mass. 

Pittsburg  Hunt  Club,  F.  M.  Lowry,  M.  F. 
H.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Morristown  Hunt  Club,  Ben  Nicall,  M.  F.  H., 
Morristown,  N.  J. 

Upland  Fox  Hunt  Club,  Edw.  Crozer,  M.  F. 
H.,  Chester,  Pa. 

York  City  Hunt  Club,  Pennsylvania. 

Grafton  County  Club,  Harry  W.  Smith,  M. 
F.  H.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Hamburg  Hunt  Club,  W.  R.  Bunekely,  M.  F. 
H.,  Hamburg,  Ark. 

Suwanee  Hunt  Club,  G.  M.  Taylor,  M.  F.  H., 
White  Sulphur  Springs,  Va. 

Blue  Ridge  Hunt  Club,  G.  P.  Harrison,  M. 
F.  H.,  Milwood,  Va. 

Brandywine  Hounds,  Chas.  E.  Mathews,  M. 
F.  H.,  West  Chester,  Pa. 

Cameron  Run  Hunt  Club,  Cortland  Smith,  M. 
F.  H.,  Alexandria,  Va. 

Chester  Valley  Hunt  Club,  R.  Penn  Smith, 
M.  F.  H.,  Berwyn,  Pa. 


2i8  Horse  and  Hound. 

Greeii  Spring  Valley  Hunt  Club,  Redmond 
C.  Stewart,  M.  F.  H.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Watching  Hunt  Club,  Dr.  M.  O.  Knott,  M. 
F.  H.,  Plainfield,  N.  J. 

Missouri  Hunt  Club,  S.  H.  Velie,  M.  F.  H., 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Berkshire  Hunt  Club,  Clinton  G.  Gilmore,  M. 
F.  H.,  Lenox,  Mass. 

London  Hunt  Club,  David  Stevenson,  M.  F. 
H.,  Leesburg,  Va. 

White  Marsh  Valley  Hunt,  Welsh  Straw- 
bridge,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

National  Fox-hunters'  Association,  National. 

Brunswick  Fur  Club,  Maine. 

Keswick  Hunt  Club,  H.  E.  Magruder,  M.  F. 
H.,  Virginia. 

South  Shore  Hunt  Association,  Massachu- 
setts. 

Interstate  Fox-hunting  Association,  Missis- 
sippi and  Tennessee. 

Strodes  Valley  Hunt  Club,  Kentucky. 

Buckfield  Fur  Club,  Maine. 

Hamilton  Hunt  Club,  Canada. 

Madison  Hunt  Club,  Kentucky. 

Texas  Fox-hunters'  Association,  Texas. 

La  Salle  County  Hunt  Club,  Illinois. 

Booneville  Hunt  Club,  Missouri. 

Elkton  Hunt  Club,  Kentucky. 

London  Hunt  Club,  Adam  Beck,  M.  F.  H., 
Canada. 


Hunt  Clubs.  219 

Mississippi  Hunt  Association,  Mississippi. 

Green  Springs  Valley  Hunt  Club,  Maryland. 

Dixie  Red  Fox  Club,  Texas. 

Goochland  County  Hunt  Club,  Virginia. 

Deep  Run  Hunt  Club,  Virginia. 

Interstate  Fox-hunt  Club,  Missouri  and  Illi- 
nois. 

Western  Massachusetts  Fox-hunt  Club,  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Lone  Star  Fox-hunt  Club,  Texas. 

Iroquois  Hunt  Club,  General  Roger  Williams, 
M.  F.  H.,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Elkridge  Fox-hunt  Club,  E.  A.  Jackson,  M. 
F.  H.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Keswick  Hunt  Club,  Julian  Morris,  M.  F.  H., 
Keswick,  Va. 

Hilton  Hunt  Club,  Geo.  H.  Miller,  M.  F.  H., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Rockaway  Hunt  Club,  Cedarhurst,  L.  I. 

Waiontha  Hunt  Club,  Richfield  Springs. 

Duchess  Hunt  Club,  Millerbrook,  N.  Y. 

Overhand  Hunt  Club. 

Richmond  County  Hunt  Club,  Middletown, 
N.  Y. 

Worcester  Fur  Club,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Genesee  Valley  Hunt  Club,  W.  A.  Wads- 
worth,  M.  F.  H.,  New  York. 

Piedmont  Hunt  Club,  W.  C.  Eustis,  M.  F.  H., 
Upperville,  Va. 

Ballston  Hunt  Club,  New  York. 


220  Horse  and  Hound. 

Myopia  Hunt  Club,  G.  S.  Mandell,  M.  F.  H., 
Wenham  Depot,  Mass. 

Monmouth  Hunt  Club,  P.  F.  Collier,  M.  F. 
H.,  Eatontown,  N.  J. 

Rose  Tree  Hunt  Club,  Ed.  Morrell,  M.  F.  H., 
Media,  Pa. 

Chevy  Chase  Hunt  Club,  Clarence  Moore,  M. 
F.  H.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Aiken  Hunt  Club,  Thomas  Hitchcock,  M.  F. 
H.,  Aiken,  S.  C. 

Charlottesville  Hunt  Club,  Toll  M.  Cochran, 
Sec.,  Virginia. 

Middlesex  Hunt  Club,  A.  H.  Higginson,  M. 
F.  H.,  So.  Lincoln,  Mass. 

Hitchcock  Hounds,  Thos.  Hitchcock,  Jr.,  M. 
F.  H.,  Aiken,  S.  C. 

Patapsco  Hunt   Club,   Dorsey  M.   Williams, 
M.  F.  H.,  Elk  Ridge,  Md. 

Pine  Hill  Hunt  Club,  Jas.  D.  Hall,  M.  F.  H., 
Front  Royal,  Va. 

Radnor  Hunt  Club,  Jno.  R.  Valentine,  M.  F. 
H.,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa. 

Warrenton  Hunt  Club,  U.  D.  Benner,  M.  F. 
H.,  Warrenton,  Va. 

Westchester  Hunt  Club,  Westchester,  Pa. 

Westchester  Hunt,  L.  Fitzgerald,  Jr.,  M.  F. 
H.,  Mamaroneck,  N.  Y. 

Portland  Hunt  Club,  I.  S.  McRath,  M.  F.  H.. 
Portland,  Ore. 

Lakewood  Hunt  Club.  New  York. 


p.  F.  COLLIER. 

M.  F.  H.  Meadowbrook  Hunt  Club, 
New  York. 


220 


Hunt  Clubs.  221 

Providence  Fox  Club,  L.  S.  Knox,  M.  F.  H., 
Mecklenburg,  N.  C. 

Orange  County  Hunt  Club,  Jno.  R.  Town- 
send,  M.  F.  H.,  Goshen,  N.  Y. 

Bayside  Hunt  Club,  Clarence  H.  Robbins,  M. 
F.  H.,  Douglaston,  L.  I. 

Essex  Hounds,  Chas.  Plizer,  M.  F.  H.,  East 
Hampton. 

Meadowbrook  Hunt  Club,  P.  F.  Collier,  M. 
F.  H.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Onwentsia  Hunt,  W.  Vernon  Booth,  M.  F. 
H.,  Lake  Forest,  111. 

Red  Fox  Association,  Ripley,  O. 

Glossary  of  Engush  Hunting  Te:rms. 

Ware,  cry  to  hound  that  is  running  or  doing 
wrong. 

Hi-Hi-Hi,  when  overtaking  fox. 

Crash,  when  all  are  giving  tongue. 

Crop,  hunting  whip. 

Drag,  scent  left  by  fox  on  that  morning. 

Dwelling,  feeling  a  stale  scent. 

Drafted,  culled  out. 

Earths  are  drawn,  when  vixen  fox  has  drawn 
fresh  earth — proof  she  intends  to  lay  her  cub 
there. 

Feathering,  waving  tail. 

Cover  hoick,  throwing  hounds  into  covert. 

Eloo-in,  into  covert. 

Yoi  over,  over  fence. 


2  22  Horse  and  Hound. 

Edawick — Edawick,  to  make  hounds  draw  in 

cover. 

Yoi  wind  him,  )  ,1,1 

,^  .  ,  .       >  encouraee  hounds  to  draw. 

Yoi  rouse  him,  j 

Hoick  together,  to  get  them  together. 

Tally-O-Away,  when  a  fox  is  viewed. 

Tally-0-Back,  when  a  fox  has  returned  to 
covert. 

Yo-hote-yo-hote,  when  "check"  to  make 
hounds  hunt. 

Eloo-at-him,  or,  Tally-ho  at  him,  when 
hounds  near  the  fox. 

Foil,  used  when  a  fox  runs  the  ground  over 
which  he  has  been  hunted  before. 

Heel,  when  hounds  run  trail  backward. 

Holding  scent,  when  hounds  can  follow,  but 
not  fast. 

Mainearths,  large  breeding  burrows. 

Mobbing  a  fox,  taking  him  at  a  disadvantage. 

vStained,  ground  passed  over  by  sheep. 

Streaming,  hounds  running  like  flock  of 
pigeons. 

Thong,  lash  of  hunting  crop. 


LEXINGTON,      KENTUCKY 
American  Foxhounds 

Pedigreed  and  Registered. 

English  Foxhounds 
Irish  Wolfhounds 
EngHsh  Bloodhounds 
Norwegian  Bearhounds 
Broken  and  Trained 
Deer,  Bear,  Wolf,  and 
Cat  Dogs 


FORTY  PAGE  ILLUSTRATED  CATA- 
LOG MAILED  ON  RECEIPT  OF  FOUR- 
CENT    STAMP.     -:-         -:-         -:-         -:-         -:- 


TRAIN  YOUR  DOG  TO  TAKE  HIS 

S  PRATT'S 

Dog  Cakes  Dry 

AVOID    SWEETENED,    SOFT    OR    MEDICATED    FOODS 
which  cause   Indigestion,  Loss  of   Coat,  and  Other  Evils 

MR.  U.  R.  FISHEL  writes: 

"I  have  been  using  your  biscuits  for  years  and  my  dogs  do 
better  on  them  than  on  any  other  food.  My  well-known  pointer, 
'Fishel's  Frank'— the  only  dog  which  ever  defeated  'Champion 
Prince  Whitestone' — has  been  fed  and  conditioned  on  them  ex- 
clusively all  through  his  field  trial  career." 


Read  the  Following  Testimony  of  an  Arctic  Explorer 

MESSRS.  SPRATT'S  PATENT  (AM.)  LTD., 
Newark,  N.  J. 

Gentlemen:— "I  have  tested  your  Dog  Cakes  through  two  years  in 
the  frozen  zone.  I  had  been  a  member  of  an  Arctic  expedition  where 
the  dogs  were  fed  while  in  winter  quarters  on  dried  flsh,  cornmeal  mush 
and  walrus  meat.  Over  half  the  dogs  died  before  the  light  of  spring  re- 
turned, many  of  them  destroyed  by  intestinal  parasites  received 
through  eating  fish  or  wali'us  meat. 

"We  had  some  SPRATT'S  DOG  CAKES  which  seemed  to  agree 
with  the  dogs  so  well  and  were  so  convenient  to  handle  that  when  I 
prepared  to  go  North  in  command  of  the  Ziegler  Polar  Expedition,  I 
ordered  a  large  store  of  these  cakes  with  which  to  feed  the  dogs  on 
shipboard  and  during  the  winter. 

"A  circus  tent  served  as  shelter  for  the  animals  at  our  winter  quar- 
ters at  Teplitz  Bay.  In  this  enclosure  we  always  kept  an  open  case  of 
dog  cakes  and  a  tub  of  tallow  (needed  by  the  animals  in  the  extreme 
cold  of  the  Arctic).  Outside  of  an  occasional  feast  on  polar  bear  meat 
or  pemmican  and  the  water  furnished  them  each  day,  the  dogs  were 
thus  allowed  to  feed  themselves.  At  the  end  of  the  long  night  the  dogs 
were  in  splendid  condition,  ready  for  the  sledge  journey.  We  lost  only 
a  few  through  sickness.  The  second  winter  our  total  loss  at  Teplitz 
Bay  was  only  eight  dogs  killed  in  dog-fights  or  carried  away  on  float- 
ing ice."  (Signed)  ANTHONY  FI ALA. 


Send  for  FREE  Catalogue  on  "Dog  Culture"  which  contains  practical 
chapters  on  the  feeding,  kenneling,  and  general  management  of  dogs,  also 
chapters  on  cats. 


Spratt's  Patent 

(Am.)  Ltd. 

London,  Eng.         Berlin,  Cer.         Paris,  France 


Newark,  -  -  N.J. 
St.  Louis,  -  -  Mo. 
San  Francisco,  -  Cal,. 
OiiEVELAND,  -  -  Ohio. 
Boston,  -  -  -  Mass. 
Montreal,        -       -   Can. 


ent's  Wog  M'emedies 


Merit  Made  Them  Famous 


The 

Dent's  Distemperine,*  in  pill  or  liquid  form  $0  50 

Extensive 
Sale  and 
Favor  these 
Dog 
Remedies- 

A  positive  cure  for  distemper,  feverish  colds 
and  chills 

Dent's  Vermifuge,*   in   capsule   or   liquid 
form   -                 -        .        -        -        - 

50 

Destroys  intestinal  parasites  and  tones  up  the 
stomach 

f"'^y^ 

Dent's  Mange  Cure        .        -        -        - 

50 

Among 
Dog  Men  is 

Rapidly  cures  all  skin  diseases  and  restores 

the  hair 

due  to 

Dent's  Canker  Lotion*       -        -        -        - 

50 

their  Merit 

A  reliable  cur^  for  cankered  ears 

Dent's  Condition  Pills*  -        -        -        - 
A  great  tonic  for  a  run  down  system 

50 

Dent's  Germol,  two  sizes    -        -      25c  and 

50 

Thoif  are 

Prepared  especisWy  for  disinfecting  kennels 

easily 
administ'Cr'd, 

Dent's  Tape-worm  Expeller  (capsules)* 

50 

pleasanter 
to  use  aad 

Dent's  Blood  Purifying  and  Cooling  Pills* 

50 

more 

Dent's  Laxative  Tablets*    -        -        -        - 

50 

effective 
than 

Dent's  Diarrhoea  Tablets* 

50 

the 
.old 

Dent's  Eye  Lotion 

50 

fashioned 

Dent's  Skin  Cure 

50 

big  dose 
concoctions 

Dent's  Fit  Cure 

50 

Dent's  Chorea  Remedy       -        -        -        - 

1  00 

*j 

Dent's  Goitre  Cure         .        -        -        - 

1  00 

1 

Dent's  Shampoo,*  postage  5c      -        -        - 

25 

ck 

Dent's  Medicated  Dog  Soap,*  postage  5c 

25 

m 

Dent's  Fleaicide  Dog  Soap,*  postage  5c 

10 

I 

Sure  death  to  fleas 

The  articles  marked  by  a  star  can  be  sent  by  mail 

THE  DENT  MEDICINE  CO. 


Advice  by  mail  and  Pedigree 

Blanks— gratis 


364  Wabash  Avenue 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 


Your  Dog 

Will  Improve 

in  Health 

if  Fed  on 


AMn^  Dog  Bread 


It  is  conceded  by  experts  that  the  continued  feeding  of  any 
and  all  sorts  of  scraps,  pickings,  etc.,  will  prove  injurious  to  a  dog. 

To  obtain  the  best  results,  the  food  should  be  uniform,  day  in 
and  day  out.    Don't  upset  your  dog's  digestion  by  improper  feeding. 

Austin's  Dog  Bread  can  be  used  exclusively  as  a  food,  with  the 
addition  of  a  soft  bone  once  in  a  while. 

Feed  your  dog  twice  a  day  on  Austin's  Dog  Bread,  give  him  plenty 
of  water  and  exercise,  and  your  feeding  troubles  will  be  at  an  end. 

AUSTIN'S  DOG  BREAD  can  be  obtained  from  grocers,  sporting  goods 
stores  and  pet  stock  dealers  EVERYWHERE.  Price  10,  25  and  35 
cents  per  package.    Also  sold  in  bulk. 

C'DCCI     Liberal  samples  and  an  interesting  book  "ABOUT  DOGS," 

"     their  different  breeds,  the  curing  of  diseases,  etc.,  sent  post- 
paid to  any  address  upon  application. 


SEND  POST-CARD  TO  DEFT.  H 


Austins  Dog  Bread 

Ctielsea,    Masrs. 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicirie 
Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Tufts  University 
200  Westboro  Road 
North  Grafton,  MA  01 536 


